The Administration for Children and Families supports Tribal Home Visiting Program grantees with capacity building to create and implement data systems. This brief presents an overview of data system challenges faced by tribal programs; a summary of data system technical assistance and resources offered to Tribal Home Visiting Program grantees; case studies that demonstrate how technical assistance improved tribal data system capacity; and recommendations for delivering data system technical assistance that is uniquely suited for tribal programs.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration will host a webinar on March 16, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET to cover best practices in work-based learning at the state level. Work-based learning offers participants the ability to combine employment with training. Presentations will be made by representatives of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, WorkSource Oregon, the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security, the Maricopa County (Arizona) Human Services Department, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and Adaptive Construction Solutions, Inc.

This blogpost examines the implementation of the Washington State’s Department of Social and Health Services’ Division of Child Support (DCS) Alternative Solutions program, a different approach for child support enforcement for noncustodial parents. The DCS model is based on a philosophy that puts more emphasis on consistent child support payments over time rather than “over-enforcing” child support orders that cannot be sustained. The blogpost illustrates how the Alternative Solutions program examines the barriers that prevent noncustodial parents from meeting their obligations, works with these parents to develop Individualized Solutions Plans, and connects them with other social services providers in the community to help meet their goals. The blogpost also covers the supplemental training that Alternative Solutions staff receive on trauma-informed case management, motivational interviewing, and family-centered coaching, and the ways that DCS staff have remained connected and work collaboratively with nonresident parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This brief looks at the challenges and opportunities for young people ages 14 to 24 to access the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. It also covers ways these tax credits are intended to meet the needs of young people and how effectively they are met. The brief is drawn from a scan of the literature and discussions with safety net and youth policy experts and youth-serving practitioners. Discussion also notes the role that structural racism plays in the eligibility for and access to these tax credits.

The brief also presents a set of action steps for policy recommendations to strengthen the safety net through an intentional and comprehensive approach to supporting young people in meeting their basic needs. Discussion of the tax credits includes action steps for making the tax credit amounts more equitable across different age groups and student statuses. Tax credit discussion also includes action steps for filers who are or are not parents. In addition, the action steps consider reducing the complexity of documentation required to prove eligibility for credits and targeting tax credit outreach efforts and tax preparation assistance campaigns to young workers. These action steps on targeting could build on the IRS’s annual EITC awareness day effort.

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), a Federal block grant program, appropriates funds to states, tribes, and territories to subsidize child care costs for low-income working families. Each jurisdiction has its own set of eligibility requirements and policies for how funds are allotted. The CCDF Policies database illustrates in detailed tables the policy choices made by each state and territory in the context of federal program requirements. This report examines the policies and addresses: What are the eligibility requirements for families and children? What must families do to initially receive assistance and to continue receiving assistance? How much do families have to pay out of pocket for the child care they receive? What are the requirements for child care providers, and how much are they reimbursed for care?

While the report covers policies in effect as of October 1, 2019, it also examines how the policies have changed in the prior year and how selected policies have changed over the last five years prior to October 1, 2019. The report does not reflect more recent changes to policies, including policy changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Policy changes implemented after October 1, 2019 will be captured in future years’ reports.

The Fathers & Families Coalition of America will host its 22nd Annual National Conference as a hybrid event (with in-person and virtual events) from May 16, 2021 to May 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. The conference will include presentations on strategies to support students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual case management, supporting fatherhood and fatherhood engagement, child support, trauma-informed care, and overcoming adversity and building resilience. Six workshops will be offered as part of the advanced practitioner credential program. The conference registration includes a fee.

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.