Research shows that children who must be separated from their birth parents fare better when placed in the care of relatives as opposed to non-relatives. This finding is becoming particularly important as the number of foster children increases due…

To understand and better meet the needs of young parents, the Urban Institute analyzed 14 programs that serve this vulnerable and often disadvantaged group to explain common themes and useful approaches in service provision. The institute’s summary…

An MDRC infographic provides initial findings of the Learn and Earn to Achieve Potential (LEAP) initiative, which targets youth ages 15-25 who have been involved in the child welfare and justice systems, or who are homeless. The infographic…

This study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service provides a national analysis about the state of household food security. National data identifies food insecurity prevalence by selected household characteristics, level…

This blog post from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is part of the "Self-Sufficiency Series: Solutions from the Field" and highlights a West Virginian program that aims to teach at-risk youth about the “success sequence” path from…

In a study by Abt Associates on the experiences of those entering homeless shelters, data showed that behavioral health problems decreased over time for this population. Post-traumatic stress disorder was the only metric unchanged, but levels of…

This U.S. Department of Agriculture policy brief outlines the employment and training barriers faced by SNAP participants experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The brief also illustrates models of effective employment and training…

In an ongoing project that seeks to improve a home-visiting programs for teenage mothers, preliminary results suggest some improvements in uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives and lower rates of unprotected sex. Repeated, close-together…

This Brookings Institution blog reviews the impact of SNAP in reducing food insecurity by geography. Presently, there are almost no differences in SNAP benefit formulas by state except Alaska and Hawaii. Data shows that geographical variation in…