Most good jobs—those that provide a living wage—require some form of career-connected postsecondary education and training. And by 2027, 70% of jobs will require education or training beyond high school. The Department of Education (ED) is committed to working with state and local leaders to ensure every student has an onramp to college and to good jobs by reimagining how the nation’s high schools prepare all students to succeed and by providing students with accelerated and innovative opportunities to earn college credits and gain real-world professional experiences. 

This webpage, developed by Youth.gov and ED, describes ED’s strategies for ensuring every student has an onramp to college and to good jobs that provide a living wage. The webpage highlights programs and initiatives that focus on:

• Career success
• Dual enrollment
• Work-based learning
• Workforce credentials
• Career advising and navigation

In October 2023, the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion featured presenters who shared insights on employer practices that consider the mental health and well-being of youth who are transitioning to the workforce, with a particular focus on youth of color. The webinar was intended to help employers understand the importance of mental health and trauma-informed practices in relation to their talent acquisition and workforce retention processes.

Owning a small business that employs others or being self-employed is an important avenue to economic empowerment for many people. This is particularly true for people with disabilities who may benefit from greater access, freedom and flexibility at work. This Department of Labor resource compares new Annual Business Survey data with existing statistics from the Current Population Survey, the primary source of labor-force statistics in the United States. This resource includes analysis of disabled business owners and self-employed workers to investigate differences by industry and age and trace changes over time.

In October 2023, child welfare leaders, researchers, caseworkers, advocates, and foster care alumni convened for a two-day Think Tank event. The event elevated the voices of lived experts to identify promising practices and barriers. This Chapin Hall report documents the proceedings, highlighting the themes that emerged as participants described the importance of permanent connections and what systems can do to foster healing relationships for emerging adults in care. The report also summarizes the key values that guided the planning process, and how those values were demonstrated in inclusive, youth-centered, trauma-informed practices throughout the Think Tank.

A job can have a profound effect on someone’s well-being. A good job creates financial stability, can make a person feel more secure, and help them plan for the future. And when workers have a voice and opportunities to learn and grow, good jobs promote a sense of belonging. In May of 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) launched a new webpage devoted to young people’s mental health needs. This webpage emphasizes that the workforce system is an important partner in supporting the mental health of young people, and that good jobs are a critical component of well-being and security. The DOL is committed to equipping the workforce system with resources and connections to ensure that youth employment programs are a bridge to the wellness services young people need.

Nearly one in five undergraduate students in the United States is caring for dependent children. Supporting student parents through higher education is crucial for promoting economic mobility. Child Trends administered the New Mexico College Student Experience Survey to more than 3,000 students, including more than 1,000 pregnant or parenting students with children under age 18, across nine higher education institutions in New Mexico during the 2024 spring semester. This report presents the results of the survey, providing an illustration of student parents in New Mexico and pointing to practice reforms that may better support this group of students.

Throughout the past 15 years, differing viewpoints have emerged about what role, if any, kinship diversion should play in the child welfare system. This Annie E. Casey Foundation report highlights a comprehensive survey administered in 2022 of kinship care policies that identifies increasing efforts by states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico to promote kinship care and support kinship caregivers of children and youth who are known to the child welfare system.

The National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics is hosting a webinar on July 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET to discuss the importance of and strategies for supporting families during pregnancy and the first year of life. Presenters will share how TANF funds are being used to provide cash to families and talk about RxTalks, a no-strings-attached program in Flint, Michigan that is currently providing cash to 700 families.

On July 8, 2024, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced $3 million in new awards to six tribal entities as part of the Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, which develops and strengthens tribal capacity to support and promote the health and well-being of expectant families and families with young children in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities. This ACF announcement highlights the six tribal entities, which will build new capacity to provide critical early childhood home visiting services to AIAN families and children in communities where these services do not currently exist. The new grant recipients are: Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (Connecticut), Jicarilla Apache Nation (New Mexico), Seneca Nation of Indians (New York), Future Generations Collaborative (Oregon), and Oglala Sioux Tribe (South Dakota).