This report provides a compilation of the success of financial capability integration efforts for tribal communities. The report focuses on two locations in Alaska: the Kenaitze Indian Tribe and the Aleutian Pribilof Island Association (APIA). Household financial living and assessing organizational and community capacity to deliver services are discussed in depth.

This article discusses the third annual Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Capital Access conference. The conference brought together CDFIs from around the country with funders, investors, and other national partners to celebrate the impact CDFIs have had in Native American communities to generate wealth and financial success. The conference also discussed new measurements of financial stability, policy and advocacy opportunities, and new financial capability tools Prosperity Now is creating.

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 the Jeremiah Program, a nonprofit organization that strives to put families on the path toward self-sufficiency by using a family-centered approach with both parents and their children. Primarily funded by private donations, Jeremiah helps low-income single mothers complete their education and at the same time provides access to high-quality early childhood education for their children. Participants may be eligible for federal and local child care and housing subsidies. This two-generation approach reports that 81 percent of children who attended a Jeremiah child development center are performing at or above grade level in elementary or middle school.

This toolkit from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was designed for victims of the recent hurricanes to assist in securing their financial obligations after a natural disaster. The toolkit provides a checklist of important financial tasks to address, reliable and trustworthy resources and agencies to help, and warnings about potential scams. Included is a printable and easy to use checklist to help consumers work through the necessary steps they need to take to ensure their financial obligations and assets are secure.

Having unemployed parents in early and late childhood creates long-lasting negative impacts on people’s quality of life. This study uses qualitative interviews on well-being and three decades of German panel data to conclude that having unemployed parents in childhood (0-5 years old) and adolescence (11-15 years old) creates a modest but psychologically and economically significant impact on reported well-being later in life. However, effects vary by gender, and some children with unemployed parents experience positive consequences like higher parental investment. Overall, though, stressors and burdens of responsibility on children of unemployed parents provide another reason to focus on lowering barriers to employment for job-seeking adults.

This upcoming webinar from the National Family Support Network will be held on Wednesday, August 8 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. EDT. The webinar’s goal is to inform stakeholders about using nationally-recognized Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening and Support. These standards not only provide a common vocabulary for family resource providers, but also help policymakers and providers create and evaluate quality family programs.

On March 21, 2018, a tool for veterans went live that lets veterans check the status of their benefits appeals, see how long the process may take, and alerts them about any actions they must take. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Digital Service hopes this tool will increase transparency and help veterans understand the timeline of their benefits process. To access the new Appeals Status tool, visit the Vets.gov website.

This report describes how a new smartphone-based application, DadTime, was developed jointly by fathers and the nonprofit MDRC to encourage attendance and participation in the Just Beginning parenting program. The app both provides reminders to attend Just Beginning sessions and reiterates techniques learned in the sessions through interactive tools. The study asked for feedback and used concrete suggestions, like allowing fathers to set the time of day of notifications, using more icons and emojis, and asking parents how they felt when they opened the app, to tailor the application. Overall, the new version of DadTime will hopefully increase user engagement and participation in the Just Beginning intervention.

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 school to work through marriage and family in a positive and non-judgmental way. Project T.H.I.N.K. discusses healthy relationships and provides resources to inform participants about the transition to adulthood, which can help them avoid early pregnancies, overcome poverty traps, understand what being a parent might be like, and ultimately lay a foundation for a successful and mobile future. The project especially tries to avoid shaming or nagging and works to understand the situations of all participants, whether they already have children or not.

On December 4, 2018, the National Association for the Education of Young Children will hold a webinar with authors of a new book From Survive to Thrive: A Director’s Guide for Leading an Early Childhood Program. The authors will provide information for childhood program directors on building a strong culture, creating useful and engaging policies, and working with families as a leader.