The Domestic Violence Awareness Project (DVAP) is a partnership of local, Tribal, State, and national domestic violence organizations and networks. The DVAP collaborates to collect, develop, and distribute resources and ideas relevant to advocates' ongoing public and prevention awareness and education efforts, not only in preparation for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but also throughout the year. The DVAP’s Web site includes a wide variety of resources on domestic violence, including materials, video resources, events, and domestic violence campaigns.

With unemployment across the country around 10 percent, states have been implementing innovative programs to help individuals find jobs. This special segment aired on PBS on the Mississippi STEPS program, which is a subsidized employment program funded through the TANF Emergency Fund.

The U.S. Census Bureau released the latest statistics on poverty and family income for 2009. Poverty declined every year between 1993 and 2000, but increased from 2001 to 2004. Declining in 2005 and 2006, poverty again increased in 2007 and 2008 as a result of the large increases in unemployment due to the current recession. The Brookings Institution Center on Children and Families hosted a policy briefing to discuss the new data and implications for families in the United States.

The Urban Institute released a report that provides an overview of why housing choices matter for influencing better outcomes for families. HUD’s proposal for transforming federal rental assistance program is designed to expand subsidy recipients’ choice for where to live. Currently, low-income households living in public housing and in federally assisted projects lose their subsidies if they move. As it is difficult to receive a housing subsidy due to long wait periods, families are often reluctant to move away and lose the subsidy. Authors discuss implications for highly centralized, clustered areas of poverty, and offer considerations for why mobility is important.

While college attendance has increased over the last thirty years, the proportion of students who complete college has decreased. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago authored this issue brief which provides data on the educational trajectories of Chicago youth from high school to college. Reviewing the paths that youth follow throughout high school and beyond, authors then suggest policies to support these youth as young adults as they pursue their postsecondary educational goals.

From the Kids Count Data Center, data just released shows that in 2008, 27 percent of children nationally are living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment. The Data Center provides data for all 50 States and selected cities.

From the Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, this report presents federal, state, and city workforce development programs within the City of Chicago. Authors summarize workforce development public policy and offer descriptions of the types of services, program eligibility, and funding supporting the programs. This report will continue to be updated by Chapin Hall for changes in programs, policies, and program administration.

Please be advised that the combination of approved and pending applications for the TANF Emergency Fund now exceeds $5 billion. As a result, OFA has implemented the enhanced procedures for processing Emergency Fund applications. As the PI explains, OFA has established a queue to award remaining emergency funds, with a queue date established for jurisdictions with outstanding applications that were submitted before the tipper (i.e., the application that resulted in our reaching the $5 billion point) came in, and queue dates for those that have come in after the tipper was received. An application’s queue date determines its position in the queue for receiving remaining TANF emergency funds, including de-obligated funds that become available if an award is adjusted downward based on updated data.

From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this report provides a State-by-State overview of Social Security. The data show that without Social Security benefits, 13.2 million elderly Americans and 1.1 million children would have incomes below the poverty line. This report provides statistics on the effect of Social Security across every State.

The Government Accountability Office convened a forum earlier this year to investigate policy options to assist adults with disabilities with a current or past work history to improve their participation in the labor market. This report includes an overview of the forum and policy options that arose out of the forum and other comments collected by the GAO. In summary, the GAO agrees with forum participants that strong Federal leadership is essential for achieving the level of coordination required to effectively leverage resources to improve work participation for Americans with disabilities.