A study from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that 24 million Americans in the workforce have low literacy skills, and nearly 46 million Americans struggle with numeracy. This skills deficit negatively impacts not only the individuals, but their families and communities, as well. Conversely, data suggests that higher skills are linked to improved economic and social outcomes, including better employment, earnings, health, social mobility, and civic engagement. This report from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education offers seven strategies that have the potential to improve conditions that perpetuate poor literacy and numeracy skills. These strategies are based on the principle that America’s skills challenge is too large to be addressed by any one stakeholder, and that a solution must come from a group effort.

On July 9, 2014, the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) hosted a Brown Bag "Toxic Stress Among Men and Boys of Color." This Brown Bag featured Dr. David Pate, Jr. an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee. During the Brown Bag, Dr. Pate, Jr. discussed his current research on the impact of toxic stress, trauma, and adverse childhood experiences on men and boys. His presentation featured a discussion about initial findings related to variable effects on men and boys, personal accounts from study participants, and final policy recommendations.