New Resources from The Finance Project
The Finance Project recently produced two publications that provide relevant and up-to-date information on federal funding sources and promising strategies to finance mental health supports and services for children and adolescents exposed to traumatic life events.
Finding Funding: A Guide to Federal Sources for Child Traumatic Stress and Other Trauma-Focused Initiatives click here
identifies 69 federal sources that can support a variety of supports and services for children exposed to trauma. The guide is designed to provide policy makers and Child Traumatic Stress program developers with critical information about the range of federal funding sources that are currently available and have the potential to support initiatives that develop, implement, and disseminate child trauma interventions. The guide identifies strategies that Child Traumatic Stress initiatives and other trauma-focused initiatives can implement to access a wide array of funding sources.
Thinking Broadly: Financing Strategies for Child Traumatic Stress Initiatives click here presents a conceptual framework for financing Child Traumatic Stress initiatives' work and a set of approaches that initiative leaders can implement to provide comprehensive and coordinated trauma supports and services. It presents general principles to guide the selection of financing strategies and outlines an array of approaches to finance interventions for traumatized children and adolescents. It also provides considerations to help initiative leaders select financing strategies that closely align with their program goals, available resources, and the political and economic environments in which they work.
Nine out of ten (90%) of US voters consider youth crime to be a major problem in our communities. A large majority also believe that rehabilitation services and treatment for incarcerated youth are effective (91%) and well worth supporting with tax dollars (80%). Many (70%) are also concerned that putting youth under age 18 in adult correctional facilities makes them more likely to commit future crimes.
These are some of the findings of a January 2007 public opinion poll about American attitudes toward our nation's response to youth crime. The National Council on Crime and Delinquency commissioned Zogby International to conduct a random sampled telephone survey of 1,043 people from a varied group of voters. In the 1990s, forty states changed their laws related to the treatment of juvenile offenders, to include harsher penalties and lowered age of jurisdiction for the criminal court system. According to the results of this poll, there is clear public concern about youth crime and a desire to hold youth accountable for their misconduct. There is also limited confidence in the effectiveness of the juvenile system, and a desire to enhance public safety with more prevention efforts and effective services fro young people already in trouble.
For the complete report, go to http://www.nccd-crc.org/nccd/pubs/zogby_feb07.pdf
Dear Colleagues,
At the recent NAE4-HA conference, there was a request at Dr. Rich Lerner s Super Seminar on the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development to send out publications from the study. Below is a listing of articles that have been published from the study to date.
All of the articles can be found under the Research heading on the Youth Development Staff Resources page at: http://extension.unh.edu/4H/4HYDSR.htm
Here is the reference list:
Alberts, A. E., Christiansen, E. D., Chase, P., Naudeau, S., Phelps, E., & Lerner, R. M. (2006). Qualitative and quantitative assessments of thriving and contribution in early adolescence: Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. Journal of Youth Development, 1(2).
Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Almerigi, J., Theokas, C., Phelps, E., Gestsdottir, S. Naudeau, S., Jelicic, H., Alberts, A. E., Ma, L., Smith, L. M., Bobek, D. L., Richman-Raphael, D., Simpson, I., Christiansen, E. D., & von Eye, A. (2005). Positive youth development, participation in community youth development programs, and community contributions of fifth grade adolescents: Findings from the first wave of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(1), 17-71.
Theokas, C., Almerigi, J., Lerner, R.M., Dowling, E., Benson, P., Scales, P. C., von Eye, A. (2005). Conceptualizing and modeling individual and ecological asset components of thriving in early adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(1), 113-143.
Theokas, C., & Lerner, R.M. (2006). Observed Ecological Assets in Families, Schools, and Neighborhoods: Conceptualization, Measurement and Relations with Positive and Negative Developmental Outcomes. Applied Developmental Science, 10(2), 61-74.
Theokas, C., Lerner, J. V., Lerner, R.M. & Phelps, E. (2006). Cacophony and change in youth after school activities: Implications for development and practice from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. Journal of Youth Development: Bridging Research and Practice, 1(1), http://www.nae4ha.org/directory/jyd/jyd_article.aspx?id=5adc7e52-3885-4fd4-b981-c6e72b9841d1
Rich Lerner s editor is working on getting a .pdf copy of the following chapter:
Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Almerigi, J., Theokas, C., Phelps, E., Naudeau, S., Gestsdottir, S., Ma, L., Jelicic, H.,. Alberts, A., Smith, L., Simpson, I., Christiansen, E., Warren, D. von Eye, A. (2006). Toward a new vision and vocabulary about adolescence: Theoretical and empirical bases of a positive youth development perspective. In L. Balter, & C. S. Tamis-LeMonda (Eds.). Child Psychology: A handbook of contemporary issues (pp. 445-469). New York: Psychology Press/Taylor & Francis.
They also have an equal number of works in press. I have requested these in press versions and will forward them when they are available.
Regards,
Suzanne Le Menestrel
National 4-H Headquarters
CSREES/USDA
202-720-2297
On May 23, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. ET, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services will air the first of two Webcasts and satellite broadcasts on Preventing Gangs in Our Communities. (The second will be broadcast on June 6, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. ET.) Gang specialists from federal and local law enforcement agencies and community and faith-based organizations will join participants in discussing what law enforcement and communities are doing to share responsibility for gang prevention.
Resources: To obtain further information about these broadcasts and to sign up to participate, visit http://www.DOJConnect.com.
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The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Progams in the U.S. Department of Justice. TO subscribe to JUVJUST: Visit the OJJDP Web site at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp.
Harvard Family Research Project’s (HFRP) announces two new resources in the out-of-school time field: a research brief on youth out-of-school time participation, and an update to their Out-of-School Time Evaluation Database and Bibliography.
1. WHAT ARE KIDS GETTING INTO THESE DAYS? DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES IN YOUTH OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PARTICIPATION
This is a research brief on youth out-of-school time participation based on a study supported by the William T. Grant Foundation. It examines the factors associated with whether children and youth participate in out-of-school time (OST) programs and activities. Building on previous work, HFRP is using national data to examine the many factors and contexts in children’s lives that predict participation. This new research brief distills findings from the first phase of the study on demographic characteristics of youth participants and includes implications for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. The research brief is available online at:
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/demographic.html
2. OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME DATABASE and BIBLIOGRAPHY UPDATE
HFRP has written a new profile of an out-of-school time research project:
* The Massachusetts Afterschool Research Study
They have also added 8 new profiles about out-of-school time programs and their evaluations:
* 21st Century Community Learning Centers - Texas (a quasi-experimental and non-experimental evaluation design)
* Adventure Central (non-experimental)
* CHAMPS (quasi-experimental, non-experimental)
* Generacion DIez (quasi-experimental)
* KindergARTen Summer Camp (experimental)
* North Carolina Quality Enhancement Initiative (quasi-experimental)
* NYC FIRST! (non-experimental)
* Young Women's Leadership Alliance (Quasi-experimental, non-experimental)
You can access both the database and the bibliography at: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/evaldatabase.html
You've all probably seen this NH breakout http://www.childrennh.org/StateBriefNHFINAL.pdf.pdf from the recent Center for the Study of Social Policy report http://www.policymatters.us/, but if you haven't, you may find its data useful for grantwriting, county funding requests, bolstering support for programming, coalition-building, etc.
February 02, Department of Homeland Security DHS launches Ready Kids.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Advertising Council
Thursday, February 2, launched Ready Kids, a family-friendly tool to help
parents and teachers educate children, ages 8-12, about emergencies and
how they can help their families better prepare.
The Ready Kids program launched at Andrew Jackson Language Academy in Chicago with a roundtable discussion led by DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and an interactive presentation for families by local first responders.
Ready Kids is the newest addition to the successful Ready campaign, a national public service advertising campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks. Secretary Chertoff said, "We hope the Ready Kids Website and in-school materials will help facilitate discussions about this important subject and encourage all families to get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan and be informed about the different emergencies that can happen."
Ready Kids fact sheet:
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0847.xm
l
Ready Kids Website: http://www.ready.gov/kids/index.html
The February issue of Health and Health Care in Schools is online.
In this issue:
Survey Finds Increase in Drug Use Before Age 13
Screening High School Students for Suicide Risk: A Report on the Suicide
Risk Screen (SRS)
Marketing to the Young: The Tobacco Industry and Flavored Cigarettes
Drug Companies Caution on Pandemic Vaccines
FDA Approves Inhaled Insulin for Treating Diabetes
Read the e-journal at:
http://www.healthinschools.org/ejournal/ejournal.htm
According to a new report from the Economic Policy Institute, the disparity across family incomes in New Hampshire has increased over the past twenty years.
In 1980, the average income of New Hampshire's richest 20% of families was 4.6 times as large as the poorest 20% of families, and 2.0 times as large as the middle 20% of families. In the early 2000s, average incomes of the richest increased to 6.0 times as large as the poorest, and 2.4 times as large as those families in the midde.
Average New Hampshire family incomes over this twenty year span increased by $61,176 for the richest 20%, by $20,113 for the middle 20%, and by $6,382 for the poorest 20%. The study cites the average NH family incomes in the early 2000s at $137,905 for the richest 20%, $58,367 for the middle 20%, and $23,128 for the poorest 20%.
Source: Economic Policy Institute/Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Pulling Apart: A State-by-State Analysis of Income Trends, January 2006. http://www.cbpp.org and http://www.epi.org