Prepared for the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development, Evaluation and Research by The Center for Youth and Communities and the Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, this report details the implementation of the Recovery Act summer youth employment initiative in four communities. Researchers conducted interviews and site visits in Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana; and Phoenix and Maricopa County, Arizona. Authors provide information on implementation, innovation utilized by the sites, and best practices for future program development.

The increasing recognition of the importance of marriage for the social and economic well-being of children has led to demonstrations aimed at strengthening and stimulating healthy marriages. The next step is to ensure that factors closely linked with healthy marriages are addressed as well. This paper brings together research findings and policy ideas about the interactions between marriage, employment, and family functioning. It presents a framework and proposes several demonstrations aimed at improving employment and family outcomes for disadvantaged populations. The appendix reviews an extensive body of research on specific linkages between marriage, employment, and family functioning. (author abstract)

While the scope of research on marriage and family formation has expanded greatly since the 1970s, the basic need to understand how families are doing, what challenges they face, and what helps them thrive will continue to be important. Marriage-related studies have evolved from merely tracking trends, to describing pathways into relationships and parenthood, to analyzing influences on child well-being and informing the Healthy Marriage Initiative. As a result, the field today covers an array of related topics including marriage, the wider spectrum of family structures, fatherhood, community resources, social networks, and the role of policy and programs as they relate to family well-being. There is a growing body of research showing how each domain influences family well-being directly and is vital in its own right. However, in combination they influence family well-being in interactive ways that are still not fully understood, for example how some elements mitigate or magnify the influence of others and how their relative importance varies over the life course.

Policy makers and researchers need to better understand how these dimensions of the family context intersect, and what this implies for developing policies and programs to strengthen families. To help achieve this, we need data that track individuals into relationships and parenthood; examine interactions among family members inside and outside the household; describe family resources, stressors and well-being along multiple dimensions and points in time; catalogue program participation; and capture a wide array of related covariates. In addition, we need data that will allow for examination of the roles and implications of these factors among different understudied populations such as low-income families and racial and ethnic minority groups.

This paper discusses the richness of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 Cohort (NLSY97) for studying these issues, and ways in which its utility for advancing research on marriage and the family could be enhanced. The basis for the recommended improvements comes from the discussion of a panel of experts convened by NORC for the Administration for Children and Families. To put these recommendations into clearer perspective, this paper begins with a review of the promises and current limitations of NLSY97 for studying marriage and family issues and ends with a discussion of first steps one could take in pursuing such enhancements.(author abstract)

Although there are exceptions, research indicates that children raised in single-parent families are at greater risk of living in poverty and of developing social, behavioral and academic problems than are children raised in married-parent families. This report presents a framework for intervention that would address the needs and circumstances of unmarried parents and provide instruction and knowledge for those who would choose to form and sustain healthy marriages. Head Start and Early Head Start staff can help develop programs that will assist couples in strengthening their bond while supporting the developmental needs of their child. (author abstract)

Families play a large role in determining how we spend, save, and invest for the future. The Building Assets*Building Stronger Families financial education guide provides 50 financial literacy activities designed to help families talk about Money Values and Attitudes, Family Dreams and Goals, and Family Budgeting. These activities can be used alone in or in combination with another financial education curriculum, such as the FDIC’s MoneySmart. 

MyMoney.gov is the U.S. government's web site dedicated to teaching all Americans the basics about financial education. Whether buying a home, balancing a checkbook, or investing in a 401(k), the resources on MyMoney.gov can help individuals maximize the benefits of their financial decisions. Throughout the site, users will find important information from 20 Federal agencies and Bureaus designed to help individuals make smart financial choices. MyMoney.gov organizes financial education help from over 20 different Federal web sites in one place. Content is organized by where people are in life ("Life Events"), who they are ("My Resources"), and by specific hands-on tools ("Tools"). Popular Topics are also highlighted. This site provides summaries of resources available at other official government sites and allows users to open those pages in a new window ("Learn More"). MyMoney.gov also offers an Outreach Tool Kit with sample materials for organizations to use to help their participants learn about free financial education available. The Outreach Tool Kit includes a sample press release, e-flyer, bookmark, Web buttons and banners, and ideas for other outreach.

In 2010, it is estimated that there were 45.9 million adults in the United States with mental illness. Of these 45.9 million adults, 32.9 percent received mental health services. NSDUH presents the results of interviews conducted with household residents, non-institutionalized individuals, and civilians living on military bases ages 12 and older from January to December 2010. These interviews measured the frequency of mental illnesses, treatments for depression, and mental health service utilization.

The New America Foundation authored this paper, which provides information on the “unbanked” population and how to help increase the use of bank accounts for low-income households. Recent data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) showed that nine million Americans do not have a checking or savings account and spend hundreds of dollars making financial transactions. Researchers conducted a qualitative study of the financial attitudes and behaviors of individuals currently receiving TANF, focusing on how they manage their money. The author concludes with findings that could impact policy and practice and helping to support these individuals in becoming banked.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment & Training (SNAP E&T) was designed to help move individuals towards exiting SNAP and reaching economic self-sufficiency through gainful employment. Authored by the National Skills Coalition with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, this user’s guide was designed to provide workforce development stakeholders with information on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment & Training (SNAP E&T, formerly Food Stamp Employment & Training or FSET). Authors provide an overview as well as information for designing and implementing a SNAP E&T program.

In this paper, we examine how policy and structural changes states made in response to the DRA may influence the level and composition of the TANF caseload. This paper grew out of a 50-state survey Mathematica Policy Research conducted on diversion programs which revealed that states were providing cash assistance to some families with children outside of their TANF programs in order to meet the higher effective work participation rates established by the DRA (Rosenberg et al. 2008). This paper also draws on field visits Mathematica conducted to state and local welfare offices to study innovative strategies states were employing to increase the number of recipients participating in work activities (Pavetti et al. 2008). All analyses of caseload data rely on the official TANF caseload numbers published by the Administration for Children and Families. The audience for this paper includes researchers, policy makers, and program administrators who use TANF caseload data to assess the functioning of the program. The primary aim of the paper is to provide readers with background information that can improve their ability to interpret changes in the TANF caseload (or more broadly in the receipt of public cash assistance), especially during these challenging economic times and as policy makers consider the reauthorization of the program.

We start with a description of state cash assistance caseloads for families with children prior to the DRA, which provides important contextual information for understanding state responses to the DRA and their potential influence on TANF caseloads. In the second section, we describe the DRA provisions directly related to TANF. In the third section, we describe policy and structural changes made in response to the DRA and discuss their influence on state TANF caseloads. The final section offers our conclusions. (author abstract)