PARTNERSHIP'S FORMAL COMMENTS ON ROMA NEXT GENERATION RELEASED
CAPLAW WEBINAR: TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS AND WORKING OVERTIME
Taking Care of Business and Working Overtime
Wednesday, August 17, 2016, 2:00-3:30 pm ET
Presenters: Eleanor Evans, Esq. and Veronica Zhang, Esq.
The U.S. Department of Labor recently issued its long-anticipated "overtime rule," which affects whether certain employees may be treated as exempt from the minimum wage and overtime pay requirements of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The DOL estimates that the new overtime rule, which will go into effect on December 1, 2016, will extend overtime protections to an additional 4.2 million exempt workers who are not currently eligible for overtime pay. This webinar will review the changes in the new overtime rule and how they apply to CAAs, discuss various options for compliance, and address common employee classification issues, including the classification of Head Start teachers.
CAPLAW has issued an extensive FAQ that can be found here addressing the new overtime rule and its implications for CAAs prior to the webinar.
A TOP PRIORITY TO ADDRESS POVERTY: STRENGTHENING THE CHILD TAX CREDIT FOR VERY POOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, August 9, 2016
A new paper from CBPP examines a growing body of research showing that boosting the incomes of poor families can yield important long-term benefits for young children. Policymakers should make it a priority to strengthen the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for the poorest young children.
Today, the poorest children qualify for only a very small CTC or no tax credit at all, even though they are the children who need it most and for whom it would have the largest beneficial impact.
The important benefits this tax credit provides for children include, improving their health and education, and their expected earnings as adults. The positive effects of such income support in both the short term and the long term are clearest for the poorest and youngest children.
Center for the Study of Social Policy, August 12, 2016
As practitioners and policymakers work to remedy urgent social, economic, health and education problems, they ought to be informed by all the evidence relevant to achieving their goals. A focus on evidence helps to fulfill the promise that program choices, treatments, interventions and funding decisions can be based on solid findings about effectiveness. Numerous web-based directories have been developed to weigh such evidence, and many government and philanthropic funders now require programs be "evidence-based," but they are often operating under the widely used, but regrettably misleading shorthand of "what works." In "Better Evidence for Decision-Makers", a new issue brief from CSSP and the Friends of Evidence, CSSP Senior Fellow Steve Cohen makes the case that though these directories represent good progress, true evidence-based policy comes when we have collectively done two things:
First, we need to collect, evaluate and disseminate considerably more and better evidence to better understand the contextual and implementation factors that are critical in weighing whether a given program, treatment or intervention is likely to be effective and for whom.
Second, we need more and better supports for decision-makers as they take in and try to "make meaning" from evidence that is almost always complex and sometimes downright confusing.
The paper also makes six recommendations to government agencies and foundations to promote a deeper, more nuanced use of evidence. CSSP and the Friends of Evidence also released a case study of the Harlem Children's Zone as an example of the kind of initiative that is not represented in web-based evidence directories and yet provides valuable knowledge for decision-makers. Over the next several months, we'll issue additional case studies of initiatives using better approaches to evidence in their efforts to improve outcomes among disadvantaged children, youth, families and communities. Visit http://www.cssp.org/policy/evidence-for-results to learn more.
EFFECTIVE MARKETING TIPS FOR YOUR CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY PROGRAMS
Forbes, August 1, 2016
Marketing is obviously a very important aspect of business, yet few organizations do an effective job of leveraging it for corporate philanthropy programs. For some reason, the idea of exposing philanthropy seems awkward and forced to many - but do not let this scare you.
The value of corporate philanthropies, while often started for the purpose of enjoying tax breaks, extends far beyond financial benefits. "Corporate giving programs can provide a competitive advantage when they are well designed and carefully executed," says Matteo Tonello, an expert in corporate governance. "For example, charitable contributions can increase the name recognition and reputation of a brand or company among consumers. In addition, corporate support of local causes improves the quality of life in communities where the company does business."
Other benefits include better relationships with the local community, improved employee relations, enhanced recruitment efforts and economic stimulation. In other words, corporate philanthropy programs are a vital component of a healthy business.
Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, July 22, 2016
This paper discusses the experiences of and lessons learned from scaling up the Year Up program, a one-year program for low-income 18-25 year olds with a high school diploma. Year Up reached its current scale by embracing an ambitious three-pronged scaling agenda, which included:
expanding the "core" program,
launching an adaptation in community college settings, and
leveraging its direct service models to influence change in wider policies and systems.
Year Up is one of nine sites in the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) study. The paper draws on data gathered through the PACE implementation study. Download here.
INCLUDING RELATIONSHIP-BASED CARE PRACTICES IN INFANT-TODDLER CARE: IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND POLICY
Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, July 29, 2016
This review of research on relationship-based care practices outlines considerations for implementing these practices in Early Head Start and childcare centers serving infants and toddlers.
The report emphasizes two specific relationship based care supports - primary caregiving and continuity of care - and includes considerations at the center level, for parents and families, and for staff. The brief also discusses federal and state policies related to adopting these practices. Additionally the brief discusses how licensing, Quality Rating and Improvement Systems, and Early Head Start performance standards relate to implementing these practices.
Members of the Network of Infant/Toddler Researchers and the Quality Initiatives Research and Evaluation Consortium, jointly wrote this brief.
This webinar series is designed to improve the effectiveness of Community Action agencies working on the front line of addressing family homelessness. Building on the research and information shared in ourprevious twowebinars, this next presentation will provide a deeper dive into the various processes and challenges of implementing innovative homelessness strategieswithin the Community Action network.
...whether poverty is growing or declining in your state?
...how to use state and local data about income by race, age, or gender?
...how to get the new Census Bureau poverty, income and health insurance data?
Jared Bernstein, nationally known economic expert you've seen on CNBC, MSNBC, and in the NY Times, Washington Post, and on NPR, will share his astute analysis of what the new data is likely to show for poverty, income, and health insurance, and why. Jared is Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and previously was Chief Economist and Economic Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden.
Deborah Weinstein will provide you with practical training so you can find and use the Census data as soon as it is released (The Census Bureau will publish the data on September 13 and 15). She has specialized in helping advocates use national, state and local data, with clear instructions and follow-up help if you need it. Debbie is Executive Director of the Coalition on Human Needs.
Ellen Teller, our moderator, will make sure the speakers answer as many of your questions as possible. Ellen is a champion advocate, and is Director of Government Affairs at the Food Research and Action Center.
Register today so you can view the free webinar on September 7 or watch the recording afterwards. All registrants will receive the handouts - detailed and easy-to-follow instructions for getting data important to you - and will receive quick analyses of what the data show on September 13 and 15 - and how you can use it to defend/expand programs low-income people need. Thousands of advocates and service providers nationwide have benefited from this webinar training in the past - don't miss out
Community Indicators Consortium (CIC) Impact Summit
September 26-27, 2016, Washington DC, FHI 360 Conference Center
The 2016 CIC Impact Summit will take a close look at new approaches and policy applications of well-being indicators and engage in dialogue both about what we can learn from international and local efforts and how we are or can be leading the field in measuring progress to move "beyond GDP" toward equitable, sustainable, healthy communities. There is a discount for becoming a CIC member before registering and also a 10% discount for groups of three or more.
Forbes, August 1, 2016
