This blog entry discusses the potential impact of new state legislation in South Carolina that seeks to tap into federal funding to help cover the costs of its extended foster care programming, which serves young adults between the ages of 18 and 21. The federal funding is expected to be allocated towards employing more caseworkers and tailoring support to meet the needs of more young people across the state.

This report identifies the four components of youth apprenticeship programs and how they fit together to offer a set of principles for adoption that improve program quality. These distinguishing components are 1) structured and paid on-the-job learning under the supervision of skilled mentors, 2) classroom-based or technical instruction aligned to the workplace environment, 3) ongoing assessment, and 4) attainment of portable, industry-recognized credentials. To illustrate these components, the report presents the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (Washington State), the Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeship program (South Carolina), and Early Care & Education Pathways to Success (California).

WorkForce GPS is hosting a virtual event on June 18, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. Presenters from South Carolina and Massachusetts will discuss their implementation strategies of bringing services to rural workers and employers, which has long been a challenge in the workforce development system.

This program snapshot examines how KEEP Fathers Engaged, a South Carolina fatherhood program, adapted to better engage fathers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The snapshot also highlights strategies this program and others used during the pandemic that may help strengthen service delivery going forward. These strategies include emphasizing retention of fathers in programming over recruiting new participants, adjusting program services to meet new needs that arose during the pandemic, and expanding the program’s reach by leveraging opportunities created by virtual service delivery.

This report covers lessons learned from the first phase (January 2020 to September 2020) of the Southeastern Cohort on Young Parents and Families. The Cohort is an initiative aimed at enhancing and aligning programs, policies, and systems to better support young parents (ages 18-24) and their families in Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina. The report presents findings on four key areas: understanding and engaging young parents, continuous improvement through data and feedback, service collaboration and alignment, and service delivery adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The National Community Action Partnership, Third Sector, and the American Public Human Services Association will host this webinar on October 19, 2020 from 12 noon to 1:15 p.m. ET. Representatives from the National Community Action Partnership, Third Sector, and the Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council (WEOC) from South Carolina will discuss the importance of elevating young parent families as a priority population. Representatives will also present on leveraging a 2Gen approach within Community Action Agencies. A key topic will include how to measure program performance to achieve 2Gen outcomes using Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) with ongoing young parent and provider feedback.