The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the HHS Task Force to Prevent Human Trafficking, released the National Human Trafficking Prevention Framework. Building on decades of work to prevent violence, this framework is a resource for organizations, communities and governments seeking to strengthen efforts to prevent human trafficking. It reflects research and best practices in violence prevention and health promotion, as well as the expertise of people who have experienced human trafficking and allied professionals.

A video announcing this framework is available, where co-chairs of the HHS Task Force to Prevent Human Trafficking, Acting Assistant Secretary Jeff Hild and Assistant Secretary Admiral Rachel Levine, discuss key elements of the Framework.

Interested in learning more about upcoming opportunities to #Partner2Prevent human trafficking? Sign up for updates from the Office on Trafficking in Persons.

The National Youth Employment Coalition is hosting a virtual workshop on April 11, 2024 at 2:30 ET to provide an innovative approach to mentoring that combines technical skills and emotional intelligence, focusing on adaptability and resilience. Attendees will receive a toolkit to engage youth effectively in mentorship programs, including critical thinking, problem-solving, effective communication, and resilience skills.

Financial strain, schedule overload, and psychological stress are just some of the struggles single parents can face when returning to school, but they can be exacerbated when the single-parent student is also a veteran. RAND partnered with the Student Veterans of America to conduct semi-structured interviews with ten veteran single parents who are enrolled in higher education and one nonveteran school administrator who is dedicated to supporting student veterans. The interviews were designed to help inform the research team investigate barriers and facilitators to veteran single parents' pursuit of higher education; the research team also examined how such policies as the G.I. Bill supported the educational goals of veteran single parents while they parented young children. This RAND resource presents the study’s findings and can help veteran and education policy decisionmakers develop or refine education and training programs in ways that attune with the unique circumstances of veteran single parents.

College and career pathways are a critical strategy for supporting economic development in rural communities and creating economic advancement opportunities for youth. However, implementing pathways requires recognizing rural communities’ unique needs and opportunities. This Jobs for the Future resource includes a report and a brief which outlines three promising strategies for implementing rural pathways: build on local strengths and context, prioritize economic development, and embed remote opportunities.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is working to strengthen the well-being of children, youth, and their families by integrating behavioral health services into the existing supports they rely on, such as social services and early childhood programs. This ACF announcement highlights the new behavioral health webpage that includes a tip sheet for parents and caregivers and a series of short videos about mental health.

The new behavioral health webpage includes audience-specific pages with resources about mental health and substance use for:

• Teens and young adults
• Parents and caregivers
• American Indian and Alaska Native Communities
• Service providers
• Grant recipients
• Early childhood professionals

As youth and young adults with disabilities (Y&YADs) transition into adulthood, they face a complex series of milestones and hurdles in achieving economic self-sufficiency. Y&YADs struggle to navigate access to community services, support, and programs that meet their basic needs. This Cape Youth brief provides policy considerations that help Y&YADs foster economic self-sufficiency through financial literacy and independence. These strategies can reduce financial pressures for Y&YADs as they transition to employment and adulthood.

Whether or not they have a strong understanding of all the options before them, many Gen Z youth are looking for faster, more economical, and more relevant on-ramps to meaningful jobs that offer life-sustaining wages and are aligned to their real interests. They want opportunities to learn and grow while working and earning—options that do not require them to put their lives on hold for years and accumulate life-changing debt in the process. This Jobs for the Future report is intended to improve public awareness of nondegree pathways by exploring how they benefit people and the workplace as well as barriers that prevent them from being mainstreamed.

The Office of Family Assistance podcast series, “Incorporating Lived Experiences into Decision Making,” provides insights into how TANF agencies can include and involve individuals with lived experience in receiving TANF into agency programming and policy development. The series discusses why including individuals with lived experience is important and highlights various strategies and resources agencies can use to incorporate these perspectives. This first episode explores various strategies agencies have taken to gather and use input from individuals with lived experience to benefit agencies’ understanding, decision-making, and programming. Podcast speakers discuss varying approaches, including gathering survey feedback on program operations, forming participant advisory committees, incorporating participant-led case management practices, and hiring individuals with lived experience into permanent positions. This episode also explores how to engage in lived experiences equitably, including discussions of compensating individuals appropriately for their time and expertise.

January was National Mentoring Month, which highlighted the critical role that mentors play in the lives of youth and the extent to which young people have access to mentors in America. Unfortunately, new data indicate that decades of mentoring progress may be eroding at a time when youth mental health needs are soaring. This Annie E. Casey Foundation blogpost emphasizes trends, impacts, and recommendations for youth mentoring.