This article for the NGA Center on Best Practices reviews why reading and literacy activities are important for States. Literary readers have been shown to be more likely than nonreaders to pursue social and civic activities such as volunteering…

Asset building can be an important anti-poverty tool for many families as tangible assets can be passed down from generation to generation and afford families greater economic stability than income alone. Savings accounts are key to increasing…

This first Issue Brief from the National Center for Children in Poverty's (NCCP's) Project THRIVE identifies ways for States currently planning early childhood comprehensive care systems to use Federal and State fiscal resources more effectively…

The Santa Clara County Children's Health Initiative (CHI) is an outreach program to expand children's health insurance. The goal of the effort is to make certain that children enroll for all the programs that they are eligible. Overall, parents…

This report from the Brookings Institution reviews the role of education in helping low-income children advance economically. Authored by Isabel Sawhill, she concludes that the U.S. education system tends to reinforce rather than compensate for…

From the National Center for Children in Poverty, this article highlights effective programs, policy opportunities, and other strategies to improve educational outcomes for children. This brief is to inform policymakers and other stakeholders on…

This policy brief from the Family Strengthening Policy Center (FSPC), funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, seeks to describe an approach to strengthen families with children in low-income communities. The model uses the research that children…

This research brief from the National Center for Children in Poverty reviews data on low-income families that receive child care assistance. For example, families with children under five are more likely to use the benefit than families with…

Studies have shown that family structure is an indicator for educational outcomes among children. This article proposes that by increasing marriage in the US would greatly improve education achievements among children.

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) have been a proven mechanism for supporting low-income families on a path to self-sufficiency by promoting asset-building. Asset-building programs can use a variety of strategies and tools to help create…