The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 gave states additional resources and tools aimed at improving participation in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In 2007, five million uninsured children were eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, constituting 64 percent of all uninsured children.…

This paper examines labor market conditions and public employment policies in the United States during what some are calling the Great Recession. We document the dramatic labor market changes that rapidly unfolded when the rate of gross domestic product growth turned negative, from the end of 2007 through early 2009. The paper reviews the…

Until the past few years, our nation's approach to designing federal programs for preschool-age children lacked coherence and paid little attention to what had worked (and not worked) in the past. In this article, the authors propose that credible information useful for designing effective programs will require the ongoing, systematic development…

The aim of this paper is to indicate how Project Follow Through can contribute to a better-integrated and rationalized federal programming strategy. The first section identifies areas in which federal programs have consistently succeeded or failed and presents reasons why those outcomes are probably the inevitable results of the policy tools that…

Excerpts of the NIE Vocational Education Study are presented. Areas covered include federal goals, distributing funds, special needs students, sex equity, improving planning, extending and improving programs, strengthening evaluations, and options for change. (CT)

These hearing transcripts present testimony concerning the Clinton Administration's plans to expand and improve Project Head Start. Testimony was heard from Senators Christopher J. Dodd, Dan Coats, Nancy Landon Kassebaum, Strom Thurmond, James M. Jeffords, and Harris Wofford, as well as Representatives Matthew G. Martinez and Susan Molinari, and…

A hearing investigated children's health programs and related policies which might provide a healthy future for America's youth. Of particular interest were the coverage and scope of services under existing programs, and deficiencies in child health programs that may be remedied. Areas of concern included initiatives to improve infant mortality…

This paper uses data from the 1996 and 2001 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation to assess the impact of recent policy initiatives intended to increase access to Food Stamps. It finds that reductions in state certification requirements increased Food Stamp participation rates of income-eligible families with children by one to…

Describes proposals intended to strengthen the American family, specifically initiatives to improve child immunization programs, expand Project Head Start, advance the Family Preservation and Support initiative, reform welfare programs, and adopt a national health care program. (MDM)

The focus for most consumers of federal education program services is the end product. Of concern to these consumers--students, teachers, and principals--are the quality of the service, the timeliness of the service delivery, and the relevance of the services to the particular need. To ensure that federal education programs can be effective for…

Some of the major issues related to planning evaluations of federal human services national demonstration programs are discussed. Barriers to conducting evaluations are discussed for the policy level and cross-site and within-site evaluation contexts. Among the proposed solutions is the use of an explicit programmatic developmental sequence. (SLD)

This position paper examines the current Head Start training and technical assistance (TTA) system and proposes specific improvements. These include the creation of regional TTA offices, the use of satellite and interactive communications technology, and a reevaluation of the role of teaching centers, national training contracts, and Head Start…

This report records the testimony presented by Clarence C. Crawford, Associate Director, Education and Employment Issues, Human Resources, of the General Accounting Office, on the effectiveness of Title IIA of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) in meeting the employment and training needs of economically disadvantaged adults and youth. His…

National service offers an appealing vehicle for engaging senior citizens to respond to unmet needs in education, health care, public safety, the environment, and other essential areas. Involving seniors in national service will help alleviate the country's pressing domestic problems, enhancing participants' personal development, and bolstering…

Outlines access to health care for children in out-of-home care under current law, reviews how health care access for these children would be affected by President Clinton's health care reform initiative, and proposes additional measures that could be considered to improve access and service coordination for children in the child welfare system.…