This paper summarizes 40 years of randomized controlled trials (RCT) field experiments on programs and interventions in the unemployment insurance (UI) system to mitigate work disincentives and to help laborers reenter the job market. It is well known that unemployment insurance discourages people from quickly finding a new job if they are unemployed. However, interventions like reemployment bonuses, stronger work-search requirements, and job search assistance significantly decrease time spent without a job while being cost-effective. Hiring incentives for employers and removing the work test, on the other hand, are ineffective. The numerous experiments in the paper can offer strategies for combatting UI’s moral hazard to lower the time people spend unemployed.

The USDA emphasizes maternal and child health as part of their work on nutrition assistance for low-income households, and this second-year report evaluates the efficacy of their initiatives on feeding practices and child health outcomes. The study used a mixed methods approach to gather data from mothers participating in the WIC Supplemental Nutrition Program about child diets and postnatal measurements. They found that WIC helps children consume regular meals and meet most of their recommended daily nutrient intakes, although working mothers are less likely to breastfeed for long periods of time. Also, only about 1% of babies receiving WIC assistance had low weight-for-length measurements, while about 23% had higher than healthy measurements.

This research paper recognizes the growing need for research on children to be supplemented by research with children and examines strategies to help children report on their own well-being. The researchers worked with children between ages three and five to introduce them to emojis, listen to their stories about particular emojis, and facilitate open-ended discussion about aspects of children’s lives that they shared based on particular emojis. A directed content analysis was used to code qualitative interviews into data, and researchers found merit in using emojis to capture children’s thoughts and feelings. As technology and media become more prominent in early childhood, these visual measurement methods may be effective for use in future research with children.

The new Community Needs Assessment (CNA) online data tool can now be found within the CARES engagement network and features structural improvements to increase user experience. It still allows for mapping and reporting data, but has updated environments and easier data downloading features. They will be hosting a webinar on August 14, 2018 to give an online tour of the improved tool.

Visitors to this webpage can select states and territories in a drop down list or click on states and territories on an interactive map to view state caseload trends provided by The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE); the map links to IV-D Child Support Caseload Fact Sheets for each state of the United States and three territories. The source of the information on the fact sheets is the OCSE 157 Report.

On October 30, MDRC and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association will host a free webinar as part of their College Promise Success Initiative. This webinar will feature adult promise programs as part of their programming around technical assistance and evidence-based support practices. Stay tuned for more information to come.

Living in safe “opportunity neighborhoods” that provide quality services, employment, and schools is a recognized way for children and families to increase their economic opportunities and class mobility. The authors of this Urban Institute paper propose using tiered-evidence grantmaking, or funding programs based on the evidence-based robustness of their underlying approach, to increase access to opportunity zones for all. If a program shows promise, tiered-evidence grantmaking lets them apply for more funding for evaluation, scaling, and replication. This model is accessible to local institutions with intimate knowledge of their community’s situations, and also can incentivize new ideas while strongly supporting proven interventions.

In this Brookings Paper on Economic Activity, the authors focus on children within the safety net programs of Medicaid, EITC, CTC, SNAP, and TANF, and how federal money has shifted over time to currently benefit families with earnings above the poverty line. Because much research has been done on the substantial and lasting effects of poverty on child development and later well-being, current social net programs may be negatively affecting the poorest children. Over the past twenty years, funds allocated toward children have mostly remained the same, as have the number of children in poverty, but social program benefits have been shifting to benefit those at or above the poverty line more than those below it. While the authors do not discuss many policy implications, they emphasize the harm that cuts to these programs may do and promote adaptable reforms that quickly supplement income during recessionary times.

Re-employment services (RES) are crucial to connect unemployed works with current job market opportunities to help both the worker and the local and national economies. This page highlights many resources and presentations that support reemployment and can help program administrators implement reemployment strategies. They highlight one Department of Labor tool, the Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services system, which profiles those on unemployment insurance (UI) to identify those likely to need RES or who may use up their UI benefits. State and local entities can use this system, in conjunction with other resources listed on this page, to help fill labor needs in growing markets and decrease unemployment.

This brief reviews the recent trend of intracity income inequality, which is rising at a faster rate than national household income inequality. While policymakers cannot fully control drivers of inequality and the resulting economic and spatial segregation, they can leverage housing as a tool to combat this concerning trend. Researchers recommend implementing affordable housing policies across cities, enforcing fair housing policies to prevent discrimination, and exploring alternative housing models like housing cooperatives or community land trusts. These suggestions can decrease the disparities in education, community resources, and economic productivity that segregated areas face to mitigate the vicious cycle of affluence flight.