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State vs. County Administration of Child Welfare Services: This HHS fact sheet contains a map showing which States are county- versus state-administered and which States have a hybrid system that includes both State and county administration. (2 pp.)
Understanding Child Abuse in Rural and Urban America: The University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute released an issue brief (4 pp.) comparing the outcomes of child maltreatment cases in rural versus urban areas and identified the characteristics associated with substantiation. The analysis reveals that only a quarter of all cases investigated by CPS are found to have sufficient evidence to be substantiated. Higher-income children in rural areas are more likely than their urban counterparts to have a report of child abuse substantiated, which often affected subsequent decisions about the case. Click here to view the press release.
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities 2010: Statistics and Interventions: This HHS brief presents national and state statistics on child fatalities due to abuse and neglect during Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2010 as compiled and reported in Child Maltreatment 2010. It includes information on fatalities due to abuse and neglect, child and perpetrator characteristics, and communities' responses to child fatalities. (10 pp.)
Child Maltreatment 2010: A summary of key findings by HHS include the number of allegations of mistreatment, the number and outcomes of investigations, characteristics of victims and perpetrators, fatalities, and services. (4 pp.)
Characteristics and Circumstances of Teen Fathers: This Child Trends research brief finds that many teen fathers go on to have more children by the time they reach their early twenties, many with different women, and are typically not living with those children. The study suggests that these subsequent births can decrease young fathers' opportunities for educational attainment and economic stability. The brief recommends that prevention and intervention efforts should target both men and women and address issues such as repeat teen pregnancy and multiple-partner fertility. (6 pp.)
Fatherhood and Home Visiting: Prepared by the Schuyler Center of Analysis and Advocacy, this paper highlights recent research providing strong evidence for including fathers in the home visiting process. Including fathers in home visiting programs is not only good for young children, it is an opportunity to positively impact the health and well-being of new fathers. The four-page brief lists strategies home visiting programs can use to promote the health and well-being of fathers, including adolescent fathers, and gives examples of how programs have successfully engaged fathers.
Family Homelessness Research: The Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness (ICPH) researches the causes of family homelessness, the demographics of this growing population, the conditions that make it difficult for homeless families to become self-sufficient, and the programs that are most effective in helping them transition out of poverty. Among all low-income families in the United States, relatively few ever become homeless. What characteristics separate these families from those with low incomes who maintain their housing?
ICPH has published a number of papers in recent months, including a paper examining the differences in health of children by their housing status that documents that children of unstably housed mothers have low birth weight, suffer from asthma, and visit emergency rooms more often. A paper published in May explores differences in school readiness and found that children who ever experienced homelessness in their first five years exhibit higher behavioral and attention problems and score lower on cognitive tests than their stably-housed peers.
Click here to read their Spring 2012 issue of UNCENSORED: American Family Experiences with Poverty and Homelessness. Featured articles include a report on local and national programs aiming to improve access to healthy foods; a spotlight on homeless, formerly homeless, and foster-care youth advocating on their own behalf; and a survey of financial-literacy programs serving at-risk and homeless families.
HUD Report: Housing & Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released a report titled, "Housing for Youth Aging out of Foster Care: A Review of the Literature and Program Typology." The report provides a thorough overview of what is known about the housing needs and outcomes of youth who age out of foster care, information on how communities try to address the issue, and a review of the types of housing programs available across the country.
SNAP Trends: SNAP national participation in March was nearly 46.5 million. Follow this link to read state-by-state data and analysis by the Food Research and Action Center.
Uninsured Vets and Families: Who Are They & Where Do They Live?: This study by the Urban Institute finds that one in 10, or 1.3 million, nonelderly veterans neither has health insurance coverage nor uses Veterans Affairs care. An additional 0.9 million adults and children in veterans' families are uninsured. Both uninsured veterans and family members report less access to needed health care than their insured counterparts. The Affordable Care Act could increase uninsured veterans' coverage: nearly half would qualify for expanded Medicaid, and up to 40 percent could qualify for subsidized health insurance exchange coverage if they lack access to employer coverage. Page seven contains a state-by-state chart of uninsured vets.
$35 Million Effort Aims to Keep Children Out of Foster Care: Four foundations and two government agencies are committing $35 million to expand a program that has shown promise in keeping New York City children out of foster care. The program, Keeping Families Together, provides housing and social services to vulnerable families. An evaluation found that after three years the vast majority of families in the program still had housing and all children who were in foster care at the program's start were reunited with their families, according to a press release announcing the new effort. The expansion is receiving support from the Annie E. Casey, Edna McConnell Clark, and Robert Wood Johnson foundations, along with Casey Family Programs, the Administration for Children and Families, and the Department of Health and Human Services. The new money will introduce the program to five other urban areas, which will be announced in September. Applications are due July 30.
A 2002 study published in the American Journal of Community Psychology found homelessness, rather than parental substance abuse or mental illness, to be the strongest predictor that children will be removed from their families and entered into the foster system.
New York City's Keeping Families Together (KFT) project paired supportive housing with on-site case management and a comprehensive array of services for families experiencing chronic homelessness, substance abuse and mental health problems, and child welfare involvement. Evaluation results released in 2011 suggested that the KFT model generated a 91% housing retention rate among its 29 participating families. Sixty-one percent of the child welfare cases open at the time of placement in supportive housing had been closed, and all six children placed in foster care who wanted to reunite with their family had done so.
Learn more about this new initiative.
Read the ACF Notice of Funding.
The full grant announcement is here.
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