The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a report that summarizes a study conducted to equip policymakers with recommendations and improvements for policy pertaining to former foster youth looking for housing options. The study included a literature review, a web-based environmental scan, agency surveys, housing site visits, and a research brief. The authors also convened a forum with policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to disseminate study findings. Results from the study indicated that policies and programs offer few housing opportunities for former foster youth, and included implications for future policy and research.

The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) released a series of public service announcement (PSA) video clips that are meant to inspire dads throughout the country to get more involved in their children's lives. The NRFC partnered with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstars to be featured in these clips.

The Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services released a joint letter that encourages local school systems across the United States to partner with American Job Centers, human service agencies, and the private sector to encourage students to pursue postsecondary education and join the workforce after high school. Examples of how to develop these partnerships are provided in the letter.

The Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness by 2015 engages local leaders to draw on evidence-based approaches and local collaborations to end homelessness in their communities.

Since the creation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in 1996, there has been concern about low-income individuals who may be eligible for TANF cash assistance but are neither receiving TANF nor working. These individuals are often referred to as “disconnected.” This study, Understanding the Dynamics of Disconnection from Employment and Assistance, uses interview data from a sample of 51 disconnected, unmarried mothers from Southeast Michigan and Los Angeles, California, to learn more about their experiences related to work, benefit receipt, and material hardship, the economic coping strategies they use to manage, and their overall well-being. (author abstract) 

This report presents results from the early implementation of the study of the Impact of Housing and Services Interventions for Homeless Families, referred to as the Family Options Study. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the study measures the relative impacts of four interventions commonly employed within local communities to help families experiencing homelessness. The study compares the impacts of: community-based rapid re-housing (CBRR), project-based transitional housing (PBTH), permanent housing subsidies (SUB), and the usual care (UC) emergency shelter system in 12 communities.

The Wilson Foundation released a report that summarizes findings from the Service and Housing Interventions for Families in Transition (SHIFT) Longitudinal Study. The SHIFT study examined the effectiveness of different housing and service models in helping families who are experiencing homelessness establish and maintain residential stability and self-sufficiency. The characteristics, experiences, and challenges of the families are presented, followed by the outcomes including housing stability, economic independence, maternal mental health, maternal substance abuse, and child functioning. Characteristics of successful family members as well as those who met challenges in establishing and maintaining residential stability are also explored. The findings are intended to inform policies that address housing stability and self-sufficiency among families.

The National Women's Law Center released a fact sheet that lists five common scheduling challenges faced by workers in low-wage jobs, and outlines their impacts on marriage, transportation, education and training programs, and arranging child care.

The Working Poor Families Project released a policy brief that explores ways to connect young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 years old to education and training programs borne out of state level policies and interventions.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released a paper that explores four areas of work-family policy related to low-income working families: unpaid family and medical leave, extended paid parental or family leave, paid sick leave, and efforts to expand employees' control over work shifts, hours, and other circumstances of their jobs. The paper outlines the ways in which these supports can be facilitated by public policy to enact change.