While the financial security of U.S. households is frequently studied, comparatively little research focuses on the economics of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) households specifically. The Center for Indian Country Development is helping to fill this gap with new analysis of a key annual survey of American households: the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Household Economics and Decision-making (SHED). This Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis resource highlights:

• Statistical techniques that enable an AIAN-focus;
• Results detailing AIAN respondents’ financial security; and
• Persistent barriers to economic opportunity for AIAN households.

In 2023, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a report on reducing intergenerational poverty. Jesse Rothstein, a member of the committee that developed the report, is on the Institute for Research on Poverty’s newest podcast episode to share the research and findings on several of the key drivers of intergenerational poverty. In this episode, Rothstein discusses policy approaches that may help to interrupt the poverty cycle and why that matters.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) promotes the economic and social well-being of children, families, and communities across the country. As part of their mission, ACF actively listens to and engages with those it serves to ensure the compassionate and effective delivery of human services. The ACF Parent Engagement Report summarizes recent listening sessions ACF held with parents and caregivers from diverse backgrounds who have a range of experiences with ACF programs. The report shares a glimpse into the insights that parents shared from each of these listening sessions and highlights a few examples of how ACF has been and continues to be responsive to their feedback and recommendations.

Women continue to experience economic inequities—from wages that are too low to costs that are too high—and do so at every stage of their lives. The underutilized economic capabilities of women leave them and their families with a precarious future and limits the United States’ economic potential. This Center for American Progress report promotes women’s economic prosperity, including thirteen policy concerns with accompanying recommendations.

In September 2022, the Rehabilitation Services Administration awarded five-year grants for Disability Innovation Fund demonstration projects. A part of the Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment (SWTCIE) program, these federal FY2022 grants provided funding to 14 state vocational rehabilitation agencies to implement Innovative Model Demonstration projects. These projects aim to decrease subminimum wage employment and increase competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities currently employed in or contemplating subminimum wage employment. This Mathematica brief explores how SWTCIE projects engage people with disabilities and lived experience through communities of practice, stakeholder groups, and mentoring programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended society physically, socially, emotionally, and for many, economically. Early childhood home visiting programs were able to help families with economic issues but also faced challenges in doing so. Early childhood home visiting programs had to shift from in-person home visits to virtual visits and adapt planned content to serve families with pressing economic needs. Home visiting staff also had to contend with their own pandemic-related challenges, including stress, isolation, and the logistics of caring for their own families while trying to support the families they served. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report examines the economic experiences of families with children ages birth to 5, families, or pregnant family members during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how select early childhood home visiting programs supported families’ economic well-being during the pandemic.

The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth) is hosting a webinar on April 8, 2024 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET to provide an overview of CAPE-Youth's new mental health policy brief. Speakers from the White House Domestic Policy Council and state governments will highlight ways that policymakers can:

• Expand culturally responsive mental health care;
• Increase access to mental health supports; and
• Embed mental health programs and supports into workforce systems.

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at Virginia Commonwealth University is launching a Native Outreach webinar series entitled “Voicing Resiliency: State Vocational Rehabilitation Best Practices with Indigenous Communities.” The first webinar will take place on April 3, 2024 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET and will feature Jim Warne and Treva Roanhorse. The speakers will provide insight into the culture surrounding Indigenous Disability and discuss the history of Indigenous Disability services in Indian Country throughout the past and into the present.

To boost the economy and create conditions for equitable economic advancement for all, employers must focus on the recruitment, retention, and advancement of Black working moms and other populations facing systemic barriers. This Jobs for the Future resource highlights challenges impacting Black working mothers in the workplace along with opportunities for support.

The earlier families attain stability, the better overall outcomes are for communities and individual families, and that is why investing in parents under the age of 24 and their children is key to building thriving communities. This American Public Human Services Association paper highlights key takeaways from their work with young families, providing an overview of the young families work and its early years, key takeaways along with highlights, and ending with opportunities for future work in the young families’ space.