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Returning Veterans Resources: Following up on the NACHSA meeting with HHS earlier this month, ACF directed NACHSA to an HHS Supporting Military Families website containing a wealth of information on jobs, physical and behavioral health services, and other supports for children and families. Additionally, the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement has published a fact sheet providing information entitled Military Services and Child Support Partnerships. (4 pp.)
Homeless Vets Grants Available: This week, the US Dept. of Labor announced the availability of $15 million in job training grants to homeless veterans. DOL anticipates awarding 50 competitive grants to counties, state and local workforce investment boards, and non-profit agencies. Applications are due April 30. Click here to view the announcement and application process.
EITC Resources: The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is the largest federal anti-poverty program, as 6.6 million people were lifted out of poverty last year due to it. Eligibility depends on income and family size, with a maximum amount of the credit for Tax Year 2011 of $5,751. For Tax Year 2010, 26.8 million people received almost $59.5 billion in EITC. However, 20 to 25 percent of EITC eligible workers did not claim it.
IRS's EITC Assistant provides eligibility information for the EITC in Tax Year 2011. By providing basic income information, the program can help in determining correct filing status and whether children qualify and can also estimate the amount of credit that clients may receive. If your clients are eligible, the IRS provides information on what information your clients will need to prepare their return claiming EITC and how to find a location for free tax return preparation by volunteers.
Creating Summer Youth/TANF Jobs: Last week, HHS issued an Information Memorandum to inform and encourage TANF jurisdictions of the opportunities to support the creation or expansion of summer youth employment programs with TANF funds. The webpage also provides a number of resources for more information about the targeting and structure of subsidized employment programs.
Other Supports for TANF Participants: The Urban Institute produced this research brief for HHS providing information on programs that can help provide TANF participants with additional support, such as tax credits and in-kind benefits. The brief includes information on the connections between current safety net programs and TANF, and finds that there is wide variation in these connections.
Policy Solutions for Preventing Unplanned Pregnancy: This Brookings Institution brief reviews research on evidence-based pregnancy prevention policies, showing that expansions in these policies would likely lead to reductions in unwanted pregnancies and child poverty while producing substantial taxpayer savings.
2010 Poverty Data Released: The Congressional Research Service has issued a March 2012 report on Poverty in the U.S. 2010. It contains a wealth of information, including historic trends, state-by-state data, and comparisons between the 'official' and supplemental poverty measures.
Assets and Opportunity Scorecard: From the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), the Scorecard provides a comprehensive picture of wealth, poverty and the financial security of families in each of the 50 states. It contains data for five issue areas: Financial Assets & Income, Businesses & Jobs, Housing & Homeownership, Health Care, and Education.
Starting School at a Disadvantage: The School Readiness of Poor Children: America's poor children start school at a disadvantage in terms of their early skills, behaviors, and health. Fewer than half (48 percent) of poor children are ready for school at age five, compared to 75 percent of children from families with moderate and high income. This Brookings Institution paper examines the reasons why poor children are less ready for school and evaluates three interventions for improving their school readiness.
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