This Administration for Children and Families blog post from the Office of Child Support Enforcement Commissioner presents examples of how states are taking the lead in testing and implementing child support-led employment services. These projects, funded under the National Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration program, IV-D incentive funds, and waiver authority granted under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act (to support programs in Colorado, Ohio, and Wisconsin), include intensive case management, parenting peer support, and related employment services. A final evaluation report expected in April will demonstrate the positive outcomes of these programs that lead to increased capacity of noncustodial parents to support their children financially.

The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison teamed with the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board to present a webinar on March 27, 2019 on current research, as well as outreach and programming field practices that are responsive to fathers’ needs. Presenters included faculty from the University of Wisconsin’s School of Social Work and practitioners from the Indianhead Community Action Agency (serving Northwestern Wisconsin), the Parenting Network of Milwaukee, and the City of Milwaukee Health Department Men’s Health Unit.

This Institute for Research on Poverty study from the University of Wisconsin at Madison examines the dynamics behind transitions in and out of poverty within rural areas. The research proposes that changes to cash and non-cash resources to pay for food, clothing, shelter, and utilities play a larger role in poverty transitions than changes in family composition (for example, changes to the family due to birth, death, divorce, or repartnering).

This policy evaluation from the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin at Madison assesses the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration project. The report covers 18 implementation sites, where half of the 10,161 demonstration project enrollees received enhanced child support services, employment assistance, parenting education delivered in a peer-supported format, and case management. The other half of enrollees were in a control group and did not receive extra services. Report findings suggest that future programs might invest in strong partnerships and communication systems as well as support customer-oriented approaches for enrollees. There are also recommendations on recruiting staff who can manage large caseloads and designing and delivering services to support sustained engagement among program participants.

This fact sheet by the University of Wisconsin’s Institute for Research on Poverty reviews the challenges of low-wage jobs and identifies factors of economic instability; these factors include irregularity in work schedules and monthly income. The fact sheet considers how unpredictability can be a complicating issue for safety net program eligibility and affects the workers’ well-being.

This recent Council for a Strong America report profiles the opioid epidemic in Wisconsin and how parental substance abuse should be considered a significant Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) that impedes childhood development. The report notes how high-quality early care and education programs, Head Start, and home visitations support children as they grow up by preparing them to avoid crime, raise families of their own, and contribute to the workforce. The implications of the epidemic in Wisconsin have a broader national impact.

This blog post from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is the fourth installment of the “Self-Sufficiency Series: Solutions from the Field” and highlights Children First SHARP (Supporting Parents, Holistic Case Management, Access to Employment, Reaching Goals, Positive Parenting), an evidence-based model for serving noncustodial parents; this is a collective, one-stop approach between Goodwill Industries, the Kenosha County Child Support Agency, and several other community partners. Services provided include assistance with job searches and resume building, work supports, and a weekly Children First Job Club that facilitates peer support and networking.

Learn more about Wisconsin’s journey through career pathway policy alignment and system change at the local, regional, and state levels. In this webinar, participants will hear from Scott DuBenske, Education Director at the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). He will provide a detailed look at the primary drivers of success in Wisconsin’s journey to scale career pathways. Join the webinar to learn the details of this innovative career pathways operation and gain insights into how to scale initiatives state-wide. WTCS’s career pathways initiative was supported by funds from a Round 4 Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant.

While youth involved in Child Welfare or Runaway and Homeless Youth systems are at high risk of being trafficked, there has been no consensus screening tool available for providers to use to identify victims of human trafficking. This Urban Institute report describes the pretesting of a Human Trafficking Screening Tool (HTST) for 617 youth involved in the child welfare or runaway and homeless youth systems in New York, Texas, and Wisconsin. The HTST took about two minutes to administer, and the researchers found that it covered key dimensions of youth’s trafficking experiences, could be used in both child welfare and runaway and homeless youth settings, and correctly predicted trafficking victimization. The researchers conclude that the HTST is an effective, accessible tool for youth ages 12-24, but they recommend additional testing for youth under age 18 in child welfare settings.