The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) provides federal money to states, territories, and tribes to subsidize the cost of child care for working families with low incomes. Policies vary widely across jurisdictions, with states, territories, and tribes establishing different policies for: eligibility requirements for families and children; application, waiting list, and redetermination requirements; family copayment policies; and provider requirements and reimbursement rates. This report describes the ways in which policies vary within the context of the federal program requirements and includes dozens of detailed tables showing each state’s/territory’s policy choices.

Many young adults, ages 18 to 25, have earnings that are typically low at this stage of their lives, and often have trouble meeting basic needs while facing systemic barriers and discrimination that exclude them from crucial resources and supports. Policies and programs, as well as the systems that administer them, can help young adults both meet their basic needs and build a stronger foundation for a healthy and fulfilling future. This report presents the case for a guaranteed income to support young adults.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation will host a webinar on March 16, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET, to help youth justice staff better serve Native American youth involved in the justice system. The webinar will address the reasons behind the higher risk of system involvement for Native American youth, the need for support and treatment for historical, intergenerational, and contemporary trauma, and the importance of identifying and working with Native nations. Participants will learn about a successful Native nation diversion program and have the opportunity to request more information on supporting Native youth.

The Aspen Institute’s Ascend initiative will host a national briefing on March 2, 2023 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET which will cover an analysis of families with low incomes across the country. Looking at children and the adults in their lives together, this new comparative analysis of 2011 and 2021 Census data will illuminate the diversity of families, examining single and dual parent households and families with young children and ones with at least one child under the age of 18, as well as young parent and multigenerational households.

This On the Evidence podcast looks at proven ways to help job seekers with low incomes during economic recessions and recoveries. It also includes insights from the Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse, a publicly available website about interventions designed to help job seekers with low incomes. The podcast also covers what the evidence says about the effectiveness of these interventions.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, millions of U.S. companies quickly changed how they did business, and nearly every worker suddenly had to contend with new digital demands. The impact of the digital skill divide became more acute, weighing disproportionately on workers of color and smaller businesses struggling to survive a tumultuous economy. This report takes a first-ever look at the overwhelming demand for digital skills in the U.S. economy in the wake of the pandemic and highlights the benefits of closing the digital skill divide for individuals and families, businesses, and communities. A webinar with the report’s authors will be held on February 22, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. ET to discuss the findings and implications of this research.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Child Care and Development Fund subsidy programs scrambled to respond to families’ changing needs. This brief is part of a series to examine state-level policies that shape access to social service and safety net programs, and the ways in which state and federal policy implementation at the local level may affect the reach of program benefits among Latino families. The brief draws from a survey of local child care subsidy staff in North Carolina to explore their perspectives about engaging Hispanic families during the pandemic.

Those with lived experience in child welfare have a unique, firsthand perspective on issues that can inform partnerships, policies, and solutions that best meet the needs of children and families. Child welfare agencies and organizations should prioritize collaborating with individuals who have lived experience to gain a better understanding of how people are affected by the social issue. This podcast features a panel discussion from the 2022 Child Welfare Virtual Expo. Topics discussed included actionable ways to engage in authentic, nonexploitative storytelling endeavors with those with lived expertise, and strategies to authentically engage people with lived experience and mitigate harm.

Studies show much higher rates of physical health issues and mental health and/or substance use disorders among populations experiencing homelessness than among people who are stably housed. This Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration guide provides strategies and implementation considerations for behavioral health providers and other practitioners to engage people currently experiencing homelessness and includes four case studies to highlight strategies for providing treatment and recovery support services to people experiencing both unsheltered and sheltered homelessness.