From the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, this is the annual homeless assessment report to Congress. In 2005, it was estimated that on any given day, 335,000 people were residing in shelters or transitional housing, and about 338,781 were unsheltered. Additionally, researchers found that in 2005, forty-seven percent of all sheltered homeless people were adult men.

This report was completed by the Program Review and Investigations Committee on Connecticut’s Welfare Reform Initiative. Authors describe the Jobs First program in detail as well as provide caseload trends, recipient demographics, and funding trends. Connecticut has utilized the earned income tax credit as a anti-poverty strategy, and authors also provide recommendations for improving work participation among the caseload.

This report, from MDRC, provides an update on welfare reform in the cities of Cleveland and Philadelphia. This study specifically reviews the policies implemented through 2005, caseload and employment trends through 2003, and neighborhood indicators describing the conditions of low-income communities in 2003.

Utilizing the 2005 Current Population Survey data, this Urban Institute brief examines national patterns of coverage among families with State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) eligible children. One important issue with SCHIP Reauthorization is that the SCHIP program does not reach all of those eligible for the program. It was estimated in 2002 that 3 million children were uninsured despite SCHIP eligibility.

Mathematica authored this brief, which is an evaluation of the Covering Kids and Families Initiative, funded through the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation to increase the use of the State Children's Insurance Program (SCHIP) for low-income families. Specifically, this brief offers information on best practices for expanding the span of the SCHIP program and increasing enrollment in the SCHIP and Medicaid programs.

MDRC authored this report on poverty trends -- since 1973, the poverty rate has remained relatively constant in the U.S. Authors assert that this is due to falling wages and the increase in single parenthood. This article provides information on poverty reduction initiatives such as the Earned Income Tax Credit.

The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) maintains this comprehensive map of all State child support enforcement web pages.

Senators Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced legislation in Fall 1999 aimed at protecting the youngest victims of domestic violence. The Children Who Witness Domestic Violence Protection Act of 1999 (S. 1321) includes many of the same provisions as Title II of the Violence Against Women Act of 1999 (H.R 357), as well as authorization for new grant programs. The bill provides for partnership-building between domestic violence service agencies and child welfare agencies; training for child welfare workers and police officers; and training for elementary and secondary school officials on recognizing and meeting the needs of children and teenagers who are witnessing or experiencing domestic violence in their homes or relationships. The "Children Who Witness" bill also makes funds available for the creation of supervised visitation centers and crisis nurseries for victims of child abuse. This bill is not yet legislation.

For more information on S. 1321, contact National Coalition Against Domestic Violence 's Public Policy Office at (202) 745-1211 or ncadv2@sprynet.com

The U.S. teen birthrate has continued to decrease over time -- although it is the highest among industrialized countries. This research reviews the impact of teen pregnancy and how this rate can affect the public. It is estimated that teen childbearing costs taxpayers around $9.1 billion annually; costs included public health care, child welfare and prison system costs.

This project examined 25 local homeless assistance systems and the success of a strategy for creating a functioning Continuum of Care for the homeless.