Counties Requested to Sign on to Letter Supporting Child Welfare Investments in a Recovery Package: NACHSA has joined with other national organizations to request organizational signatures to a letter supporting increased investments in a recovery package for child welfare programs, including foster care, adoption assistance, child abuse prevention and the Social Services Block Grant. The evolving package will likely contain boosts to the federal contribution to Medicaid and an increase in SNAP benefits. The letter points out that during an economic recession, children are more vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Yet at the same time, states and counties face declining resources to care for these children in need. The deadline for signatures is COB Tuesday, December 16. Please let Shadi Houshyar at shadih@firstfocus.net know if your county or state organization would like to sign-on to this letter. Please include your name, county/organization, state and title in your email.      

Counties Requested to Sign on to Child Health Letter: Children's health advocates have requested that NACHSA help garner additional county and organizational signatures supporting a robust reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program early next year. The program expires on March 31, 2009. Click here to view a copy of the letter. To sign on, please e-mail Varina Windner at the Alliance for Children and Families at vwinder@alliance1.org. Please provide your name, county organization, city, state and e-mail. The deadline for signatures is December 16.

America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2008: This report from the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics presents statistics on the well-being of children in the United States. Data are provided on indicators organized into seven sections: family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.

 
State Participants in Federal Nutrition Programs:  The Food Research and Action Center has published state-by-state profiles listing participation in federal nutrition programs. There are also helpful summary charts at the back of the publication that rank states' SNAP participation rates.

Primer on Calculating SNAP Benefits: The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has released a four page primer on how eligibility and SNAP benefits are calculated. Click here to view it.

Grants Available to Address Abuse of Older Women: The US Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women, has announced plans to provide grants in 2009 to fund projects that will support a comprehensive approach to addressing abuse of older women in the community. These projects will provide training to criminal justice professionals, governmental agency staff and victim assistants to enhance the ability to address elder abuse, neglect and exploitation in the communities; provide cross training opportunities to professionals working with older victims; develop or enhance a community coordinated response to elder abuse; and provide or enhance services for victims who are 50 years of age or older. Counties are eligible to apply for the grants. Up to $400,000 may be awarded per grant application and 12 grants are anticipated. January 28, 2009 is the application deadline. Additional information can be found at the following website: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=43406

NACHSA Awards Process Underway: Each year, NACHSA recognizes exemplary human services directors, programs and elected county officials who have made significant contributions to county human services delivery. Award applications are now available on the NACHSA website by clicking here.

Applications are due by January 16, 2009 to Marilina Sanz at msanz@naco.org. The awards will be made during NACo's Legislative Conference. To view past winners, click here. 

NACHSA Will Meet at NACo Conference:  NACHSA will meet Saturday afternoon, March 7 during NACo's Legislative Conference. Held from March 7-11 at Washington's Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, the policy committees will meet the following day to consider new policy positions for the Obama administration and the new Congress. Workshops include sessions on social supports for returning veterans; connecting communities with social services via the Internet; jail re-entry programs; child welfare financing; health care reform; mental health parity; and innovations in Workforce Investment Act programs. More information about the conference, including registration materials, may be found by clicking here. 

NACHSA Job Postings: NACHSA has received job announcements for the Social Services Director of Madera County, CA and the Director of Child Support Services for Nevada and Sierra Counties, CA. For other openings, click here.