This November 2018 webinar by California Partnership to End Domestic Violence provided information on its Youth in the Lead 2019 campaign that addressed teen dating violence. It provided insights on how the Partnership focuses on youth expertise by collecting actual peer organizing strategies youth have used to address teen dating violence and promote healthy relationships. The speakers also provided best practices that organizations have used to develop connections with the broader community.

(See also Resources on "intimate partner violence" in the Resource Library)

This web conference was hosted on November 6, 2019 by Prevent Connect, a national project of California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The web conference introduced participants to CDC’s comprehensive teen dating violence prevention model, Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships, and highlighted the latest research evidence displaying the model’s effectiveness in preventing teen dating violence. The web conference also showcased the Dating Matters Toolkit, which provides communities with the materials, tools, and guidance needed to implement all seven components of the Dating Matters model. Links to the web conference PowerPoint slides and the text chat transcript are provided.

(See also Resources on "intimate partner violence" in the Resource Library)

Take A Stand for Healthy Relationships, a National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Discovery Education program, teaches high school students in grades 6-12 how to understand and build healthy relationships. The curriculum contains self-paced modules and lesson plans to help students gain crucial skills in communication, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence, and help them recognize healthy and safe qualities and behaviors in relationships. Accompanying educator guides offer school staff ways to support students through the essential content.

(See also Resources on "intimate partner violence" in the Resource Library)

The National Association of Counties (NAC) held the second webinar of its County Eviction Series on February 4, 2021 to discuss how some county governments have addressed the need for housing and financial stability among at-risk families during the COVID-19 crisis. Presentations included solutions that were implemented in local communities during the national evictions crisis. A video and a PowerPoint presentation are available for downloading. Webinar presenters included representatives of the NAC, the Orange County (Florida) Housing and Community Development Division, and the Palm Beach County (Florida) Community Services Department.

This brief looks at how young people ages 14 to 24 can access cash assistance through the TANF program and the effectiveness of this program in meeting young people’s needs. It discusses opportunities for and challenges with accessing TANF benefits, including eligibility gaps and the effect of COVID-19. The brief also identifies areas for future research and action steps on improving accessibility.

Self-regulation skills include the capacity to complete tasks, remain organized, and control one’s emotions and behaviors. The use of these skills can support a person’s ability to find, retain, and progress in employment. Some TANF programs have implemented coaching and other approaches to support participants’ use of self-regulation skills for identifying goals and outcomes related to employment. This Office of Research, Planning and Evaluation report examines the selection and testing of measures of self-regulation skills as part of program evaluations of employment programs. The report addresses three areas: identification of criteria for selecting measures of self-regulation skills, the process to test these measures in an impact evaluation of coaching programs, and how the selection process can be applied to other employment-related studies that are targeted to low-income populations.

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women has issued a funding announcement for grant applications that are targeted to one of three identified purpose areas: Services and Training to Address Children Exposed to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking (within ages 0-10); Creating Safer Communities for Youth: Prevention, Intervention, Treatment, and Response Services for Youth Impacted by Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking (within ages 11-24); and Providing School-Based Services: Prevention, Intervention, and Response to Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking (within ages 5-19). Applicants must identify a target area for funding in their application.

Special consideration will be given to applications with proposed activities that include reduction of violent crime against women and promotion of victim safety through investing in law enforcement, increasing prosecution, and promoting effective prevention; empowerment of victims to become survivors by focusing on long-term safety and sustainable economic independence; and increases in efforts to combat stalking. Up to 11 grant applications will be funded. Applications are due no later than March 23, 2021.

(See also Resources on "intimate partner violence" in the Resource Library)

This brief offers insights on the most important flexibilities, adaptations, and innovations made by state human services agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic and shares recommendations for how these experiences can inform future state and federal policy and program design. The brief refers to national scans and in-depth interviews with state human services agency leaders to identify the most impactful policy and practice shifts in response to COVID-19.

The Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood initiative provides funding for the Fathers Advancing Community Together (FACT) program in Contra Costa County, California. FACT offers responsible parenting, healthy relationships, and economic stability services, including workshops for low-income parents. This Urban Institute brief covers a survey of FACT participants that examined whether they believed they were equipped with the skills to be good parents and how participating in the workshops affected their capacity to save money and develop budgets or obtain employment.

This updated interactive mapping tool highlights aspects of communities associated with safe children and strong families. The research-based framework, composed of select community indicators, is offered to communities nationwide. The tool maps community indicators at geographic levels defined by the user, from the state level to neighborhoods. Most indicators are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. The tool was informed by significant evidence of the community factors correlated with child maltreatment and a healthy community framework developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Factors include child and family wellbeing, economics, education, and housing. The tool includes new indicators, such as COVID-19 data and resource accessibility, and breaks down many of the data indicators by race and ethnicity. Training videos on how to use the tool are available.