This Upjohn Institute study is an interim first-year report of the Institute’s “Promise: Investing in Community” initiative. The report presents strategies that rural areas as well as small and mid-sized cities might deploy to create shared prosperity. The strategies include investing in workers with education and training and investing in businesses through targeted incentives and direct funding assistance. The report includes a summary of best practices for place-based scholarships, workforce training, and support for small businesses, as well as guidance on how to integrate these best practices in an overall strategy drawn on local community assets.

This United States Interagency Council on Homelessness issue brief reviews the relationship between housing costs and housing stability; more affordable housing options reduce the likelihood of families becoming homeless, and help homeless families exit homelessness more quickly. The issue brief also notes recent reports identifying housing affordability and stability challenges and efforts the Council has made to address them.

This Urban Institute report examines findings from its replication validation of the National Institute of Correction’s Employment Retention Inventory (ERI). This study was conducted to determine the ERI’s capability of identifying workforce detachment risks and reductions in labor force participation for justice-involved populations in Indiana, New York, and Massachusetts. Conducted from June 2017 to July 2018, the study reviewed the employment and recidivism rates of 185 employed and 148 unemployed persons and compared this group with the overall justice-involved population. Employment outcomes and prediction of unemployment were made 3 to 6 months following release into community correctional settings.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has posted a set of data resources and publications to identify rates of labor force participation among people with disabilities, as well as to illustrate the barriers to the labor market this population faces.

The blogpost, co-authored by the Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau at the Administration for Children and Families and the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) at the U.S. Department of Justice, highlights the partnering efforts between both federal agencies to reduce the frequency and impact of child abuse and neglect. Key highlights in this post are the Children’s Bureau’s and OJJDP’s resources, including an information memorandum, resource guides and tip sheets, and toolkits, as well as collaborative efforts to engage child welfare and law enforcement professionals.

This Chapin Hall report reviews the implementation of a “housing first” approach that addresses the needs of families in the child welfare system. The case study of supportive housing in Connecticut was a demonstration project, funded by the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Researchers used a randomized controlled trial to identify the impact of supportive housing on child and family outcomes to include family reunification, as well as removal from and placement into foster care.

This report, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and other organizations, suggests how state policy makers in Maine could reform the child welfare or juvenile justice system for youth. It presents national research that identifies how a full continuum approach – covering prevention to reintegration – could help youth successfully transition to adulthood.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration presents two podcasts that support how Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) can engage with employers and businesses in their advisory capacity. This advisory role supports WDBs as they create sector strategies and develop demand-driven career pathways. Additional toolkits and handouts, which focus on board engagement, strategic planning, and program development, are also outlined.

This blogpost from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service identifies the activities and experiences that occurred at the first SNAP E&T State Institute, “Taking SNAP E&T to Scale.” The blog highlights best practices shared, as well as the strategic planning processes used to develop a road map for an effective state SNAP E&T program. Successful programs find in-demand jobs and pair them with skills training that employers need for high-growth occupations.

The Administration for Children and Families developed the Prevention Services Clearinghouse to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) of 2018 funded under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act. The Clearinghouse evaluates programs and services intended to provide enhanced support to children and families and prevent foster care placements. The Clearinghouse rates programs and services in the areas of mental health prevention and treatment options, substance abuse prevention and treatment services, in-home parenting programs, and kinship navigator programs. Their Handbook of Standards and Procedures describes the standards used to identify and review the programs and services, as well as the procedures followed by the Prevention Services Clearinghouse staff.