This commentary was authored by Caroline Ratcliffe and Signe-Mary McKernan of the Urban Institute on children born into poverty. Poverty often starts at birth, which can lead to unstable housing, schooling, and nutrition; and data show that children born into poverty are more likely to drop out of school, have a child as a teenager, and be underemployed. The authors argue that social services can help alleviate the long-term effects of poverty for lower-income children.

Sponsored by the National Institute of Justice, this study examined the effect of the distribution of income and race/ethnicity across households and neighborhoods on the change in crime rates over a 30-year period in 352 cities. Cities with higher levels of inequality have a higher prevalence of crime, including aggravated assaults, robberies, burglaries, and motor vehicle thefts. However, as the study shows, in cities with lower inequality, heterogeneity in the local neighborhood by income level leads to higher levels of crime.

This resource is a presentation given by the Keynote speaker, Eugene Bardach, Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley at the National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics 50th Annual Workshop. The meeting occurred September 28-29, 2010 in Los Angeles, California, and the presentation was entitled, "Interagency Collaboration and Coordination in Social Policy Research and Practice."

From the Urban Institute, this report analyzes data from the District of Columbia Frequent Users Service Enhancement Pilot Program, implemented by the Corporation for Supportive Housing. This program was designed to help disabled individuals leaving the city jail by providing housing and coordinating services. Authors use both qualitative and quantitative data to discuss the history, performance, and progress of the program. In the first year, the program was able to target around 12 frequent users to provide services.

The U.S. Department of Labor released a report that includes the findings of a multi-year study of the impact of the Unemployment Insurance program in stabilizing the economy during a recession. Completed by IMPAQ International LLC and the Urban Institute, this report includes information on the UI benefits from 2008 to 2009 in the context of the current recession.

Recently, data collection and reporting strategies have increased as workforce development program funders focus on program evaluation. Public/Private Ventures released this report, which is a compilation of data from 200 service providers around the country on their challenges as they attempt to understand and improve their outcomes. Authors outline five recommendations for funders about how they can better support a culture of learning and continuous improvement across the entire workforce system.

From the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin, this brief describes the Wisconsin Poverty Project, and how data have been used to provide a view of both needs and resources on the state and local levels. Researchers have developed a new poverty measure for the state of Wisconsin, which was developed to improve understanding of the level of need across the state and of the efficacy of public programs aimed at reducing economic hardship.

This issue brief was authored by the National Transitional Jobs Network and includes a summary of findings, lessons learned, and strategies for moving the transitional jobs field forward. Specifically, authors recommend that accurate targeting, sector-based hard skills training, job development strategies, job retention strategies, and adult learning are ways that transitional jobs as a field can move forward and provide tailored service delivery to vulnerable populations.

The TANF Faith-Based and Community Organizations Initiative was designed to examine promising partnerships between TANF offices and FBCOs working in their communities. The goal of the initiative was to help low-income participants attain economic self-sufficiency by linking together the unique strengths of faith-based organizations, community-based groups, and intermediary organizations with TANF programs at the state and local levels. The project described some leading practices in partnering organizations nationwide, and makes available a set of on-the-ground tools for interested TANF program leaders and FBCO communities.

There were four primary components of the Initiative:

The initiative’s first phase (2007-08) collected information from 139 grassroots faith-based and community organizations nationwide, resulting in a Compendium of Organizations, which documents core components of 139 local social service organizations. After a careful vetting process, 23 of these organizations with highly promising elements—whether because of their relationship with local TANF agencies, unique approaches to serving clients, existing public support, or evidence of effectiveness—were selected for further study.

The project’s second phase (2008-09) consisted of a refined analysis of the top 23 FBCOs, described in the Snapshots of Success report. The research team followed up systematically with Executive Directors in each of the 23 sites, and using information gleaned from informal phone-based outreach, identified 8 sites that would participate in on-site interviews and analysis.

During the third phase (2009-10), the team conducted two-day site visits with each of the 8 leading FBCO partners, and developed initial case studies about FBCO programs partnering with their local TANF office.

Finally, the initiative’s fourth phase (2010-11) compiled these case studies and other relevant “tools” gathered in the field into an online webpage, for use by a larger number of FBCO or TANF program leaders interested in supporting local public-private partnerships in their communities.

From Disability.gov, this Web page includes new resources on the Earned Income Tax Credit, which includes online training, frequently asked questions about the EITC, Webinars, trainings, and other resources on the EITC.