Summer jobs can provide early exposure to professional environments, equipping participants with essential skills for the workplace, including communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Summer youth employment programs (SYEPs) are primarily workforce development programs, meaning they are intended to prepare young people, often from families with low incomes, to one day enter the workplace. This MDRC report is the synthesis of conversations with SYEP staff members as well as interviews with policy experts to better understand what makes SYEPs effective. The report represents a practitioner-informed understanding of the practices that are believed to improve youth outcomes in this understudied field.

Many families are involved in numerous health and human services programs, with data systems that do not always communicate effectively. This presents risks for duplication and overpayment. This Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation brief describes how enhancing linked data infrastructure across health and human services programs can improve efficiency and increase transparency through strengthening outcomes research.

This Office on Women’s Health webpage provides answers to pregnancy questions, including what mothers can do before, during, and after pregnancy to give their baby a heathy start to life.

The crisis of marriage and family formation involves both economic and complex social factors. Children raised in non-intact families face numerous disadvantages, including higher poverty rates, poorer educational outcomes, and increased exposure to violence and substance abuse as compared to their peers with intact families. This Institute for Family Studies report focuses on family dynamics in Texas, identifies barriers to marriage and family formation, and proposes a pro-family policy agenda for the state.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a series of new measures to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply, a milestone in the administration’s broader initiative to Make America Healthy Again. This HHS announcement highlights next steps, including the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) plan to enhance nutrition and food-related research to better inform regulatory decisions.

This ProLiteracy fact sheet highlights the issue of adult literacy in the United States, where more than 48 million adults lack basic reading, writing, and math skills beyond a third-grade level. These low literacy levels are associated with lower earnings.

The New York State Office of Faith and Non-Profit Development Services stands as a beacon of support and resource for faith-based and non-profit organizations across the state. By providing essential information, facilitating access to state grants, and enhancing organizational capacities, it seeks to create a supportive environment for all New Yorkers. This webpage can be a guide to introduce readers to the work of the Office of Faith and Non-Profit Development Services in New York state.

The New York State Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget appropriated $55 million in TANF funds to support the 2024 New York State Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). The SYEP is an important platform to introduce youth into the workforce and help them acquire skills that can be used to improve school performance and become responsible adults. Since many low-income youths face the prospect of a challenging transition to work, constructive workforce experiences can provide great benefits. This Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance resource highlights allocation information and program guidance, including participant eligibility and allowable activities and services such as work subsidies for youth; supportive services such as transportation; case management; incentive payments; and education and training.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) employment and training (E&T) program in Hennepin County, Minnesota, is a state funded, county operated, 50% reimbursement program that works with community-based organizations to deliver services. As the program evolved, Hennepin County created a thorough onboarding training path for the community-based organizations with whom they partner.

SNAP’s Office of Employment and Training hosts a bi-annual national conference to bring state agencies and E&T stakeholders together. Attendees discover innovative ideas for increasing skills and employment among households. This session of the SNAP E&T 2024 National Forum shares Hennepin County’s step-by-step process onboarding guide, including the documents and resources that are utilized.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Office of Employment and Training hosts a bi-annual national conference to bring state agencies and employment and training (E&T) stakeholders together. Attendees discover innovative ideas for increasing skills and employment among households. This session of the SNAP E&T 2024 National Forum explores how Colorado integrated the Goal4 It! coaching model into its case management approach for SNAP E&T, alongside other programs as part of a state-wide initiative to improve the consistency and quality of workforce development services.