The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, previously called the Food Stamp Program) is a key component of the U.S. social safety net. SNAP is the only social safety net program universally available to low-income Americans, and is intended to help families meet their basic nutritional needs. It can also help to stabilize the economy…

Over half of jobs in the U.S. require training beyond high school but not a four-year degree. These skilled jobs are the backbone of America's economy, and filling them is critical to America's success in the 21st century. Every day, in communities coast to coast, working people, students, and families are looking for opportunities to get ahead.…

This issue brief is one in a series examining timely topics that are relevant to Black families and children in the United States. The series identifies key information and opportunities for consideration by policymakers, researchers, practitioners, philanthropists, and others interested in supporting the progress of Black families and…

Partners in Policymaking is an ongoing, federally funded empowerment and self-advocacy education program for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in Minnesota which is being replicated in other states. A survey of 130 program graduates indicated satisfaction with the program and the presence of many active citizen…

To inform researchers and provide guidance to policy-makers inside and outside government who participate in federal decision-making affecting children, a study was conducted under the auspices of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families. Specific objectives of the study were (1) to develop a better understanding of how federal policies…

Years of categorical funding have led to fragmented service delivery systems related to children and families. States have had to devise mechanisms to coordinate the variety of funding streams which finance the array of children's programs. Creation of a single focal point for children's policy at the national level is recommended. Attempts to…

This 1978 report of the Family Impact Seminar consists of: (1) an interim summary of conclusions reached by the seminar members as a group, (2) staff papers on the theoretical bases and evolving framework for family impact analysis, and (3) plans for pilot family impact statements. Chapter 1, reflecting the judgment of the seminar as a whole, is…

This paper presents a discussion of recent and pending legislation dealing with day care, child advocacy, family services, juvenile delinquency, and maternal and child health care. Six suggestions are offered concerning legislation which needs to be enacted: (1) a child and family services program along the lines of the child development bill…

Designed to help political leaders plan and organize a systematic set of government initiatives and policies to improve the quality of life for American families, this document provides a blueprint for mounting a comprehensive effort in support of America's children and their families. The document begins by outlining the need for a national plan,…

This executive summary crystallizes the main themes of a study that is intended to help policymakers, advocates, community members, and welfare administrators create a welfare system to do more for children and do it better. The study was prompted by the Family Support Act of 1988. The following programs that have been successful in providing…

This report of a 1974 conference on child care and public policy provides an overview of an attempt to establish a rational dialogue between public policymakers interested in the problems of child care and researchers who study the problems of child development. In Part I, a description of the historical context of issues relating to public…

Based on 1996 testimony by Margaret Dunkle, director of the Institute of Educational Leadership (IEL) Policy Exchange, before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families, this report calls for a rethinking of the federal role for children, youth, and families, encouraging the federal government to…

Cites data from 214 welfare families to support the argument that tougher child-support enforcement can reduce welfare dependency. Suggests that the best way to mend the child-support system for welfare-reliant children is to create a system that takes into account the real-life situations of mothers and fathers, as well as norms regarding…

In March 1995, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Personal Responsibility Act (H.R. 4), part of the House Republican Contract with America. The bill would move primary responsibility for child and family programs to states and communities, reduce federal spending, and consolidate programs into block grants for child care, child…

This hearing, the first of three on welfare reform, focuses on "how we can reform welfare programs to conserve the best of the past and give us new latitude to deal with the emerging problems of the future," according to Senator Lloyd Bentsen, the Chairman of the Committee. The following individuals were witnesses: (1) Richard E. Lyng,…