This set of resources presents data and research highlighting how food insufficiency increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Included are data visualizations on food insufficiency rates by race/ethnicity, mapping the average rate of food insufficiency, and comparative state rates of food insufficiency calculated from the Census Household Pulse Survey. Also featured are research briefs on hunger, poverty, and health during the pandemic and its impact on identified special populations.

This report evaluates the Denver Supportive Housing Social Impact Bond Initiative (Denver SIB), which sought to increase housing stability and reduce jail stays among chronically homeless persons with prior frequent involvement with the criminal justice and emergency health systems. Under Denver SIB, supportive housing was provided through a Housing First approach (which had no preconditions or requirements for participants) and a modified Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model. ACT is a multidisciplinary team-based approach to deliver supportive services, such as case management, crisis intervention, substance use counseling, mental health treatment, peer support, skills building, and connection to primary care.

This report presents interim findings of a national random assignment evaluation of the Family-Self Sufficiency (FSS) program which is implemented in households receiving Housing Choice Vouchers through 700 public housing agencies. FSS consists of two elements: case managers who work with participants to develop individualized self-sufficiency plans, and the creation of an interest-bearing escrow account to support participants’ asset development. The report reviews implementation of the FSS program, program participants’ engagement, and the impacts on labor force participation and government benefits receipt.

The Mathematica Center for Studying Disability Policy will host a webinar on August 24, 2021 from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET, focusing on lessons learned from Vermont’s Linking Learning to Careers initiative. This initiative creates evidence-based practices on work-based learning for youth – a crucial strategy to improve career readiness. A discussion will be held with program leaders, transition team members, technical assistance providers, and evaluators. Additionally, youth program participants will share their experiences.

The Corporation for Supportive Housing will host a webinar course on August 25, 2021 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. ET targeting direct service workers, service coordinators, peer specialists, and facilities staff. The course helps participants understand common mental health symptoms and how best to help supportive housing tenants. Course participants will learn how to: identify mental illness symptoms and to support tenants struggling with them, engage these tenants and de-escalate certain situations, create an individualized service plan with tenants, and determine which healthcare system partners to engage to ensure tenants receive needed care. There is a registration fee for this webinar.

The American Public Human Services Association and the National Association of Welfare Research Statistics will host a hybrid (in-person and virtual learning) conference from August 22 to August 25, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The conference will bring together policy, practice, research, and various programs to advance the collective goal of achieving economic mobility and well-being for everyone. Workshops are being developed to help health and human service leaders, policymakers, and researchers in developing human services programs through collaboration, integration, modernization, and guidance on effectively monitoring quality control and performance management. A registration fee is required.

This research-to-practice brief highlights the Louisiana-based My Community Cares (MCC) initiative. The initiative brings together parents experienced with the child welfare system, foster parents, and residents of neighborhoods with high concentrations of children in foster care. MCC asked these individuals to lead and co-design initiatives to prevent other neighborhood families from involvement in the child welfare system. The brief identifies the initiative’s origins, its core components, and implementation considerations.

This blogpost highlights a new partnership between the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Chief Probation Officers of California that supports strategies to change juvenile probation in California. The partnership is exploring how county-level probation can work with community partners to connect young people to the guidance, opportunities and support they require to thrive at home. The partnership will include training and other technical assistance to county probation leaders and staff.

Working families, administrators of public benefits, and grassroots service practitioners have been at the forefront of federal policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This July 19, 2021 webinar recording examines challenges providing and receiving services within the federal safety net. The recording also identifies opportunities for federal benefits reform under the expanded child tax credit and other federal cash assistance programs, and includes discussions with Mary Bogle of the Urban Institute; George Jones of Bread for the City; Laura Zeilinger of the DC Department of Human Services; and Yamila Ruiz of One Fair Wage.

Program services, such as health care, nutritious food, housing, early care, and education, are often delivered in silos, creating access barriers for families. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation blogpost presents an interactive map that documents 95 state and local coordinated service approaches nationally. The map is part of the Assessing Models of Coordinated Services project which promotes children’s healthy development.