This research-to-practice brief describes the Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) demonstration project and its integration of procedural justice principles into enforcement practices in six child support agencies in Arizona, California, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia. The premise of PJAC is that if defendants perceive the dispute resolution process to be fair, they will comply with the outcome of the process, regardless of whether the decision was favorable to the defendant. The target population of the PJAC demonstration project is noncustodial parents being referred for civil contempt of court-mandated child support even when these parents have been determined to be able to pay it. Implementation of PJAC addresses noncustodial parents’ perception of the court system proceedings and reasons for nonpayment, how to improve consistency of their payments, and ways to promote their positive engagement with the child support agency as well as the other parent.

This National Governors Association policy brief examines the lessons learned from the Parents and Children Thriving Together: Two-Generation State Policy Network (PACTT Network). Initially convened in 2016, the PACTT Network is a policy academy that created and implemented two-generation strategies to address intergenerational poverty. The policy academy included state representatives from Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Oregon.

This discussion paper on a case study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta studies the concept of benefits cliffs, which happen when earnings are offset by the loss of public benefits, resulting in a financial disadvantage to working. The study highlights a fictional young mother of two and suggests that career advancement can result in financial gain over a lifetime. Two policy interventions are discussed: a gradual child care subsidy phaseout, and transitional public benefits with asset mapping. The paper concludes that it is important for those helping low-income individuals to recognize not only their short-term barriers, but also the return to investment that career advancement can create.

Over 36 million adults in the United States cannot read, write, or do basic math above a third grade level. Further, 43 percent of adults with the lowest literacy levels live in poverty, and 70 percent of adult welfare recipients have low literacy rates. The Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar on December 12, 2019 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET exploring how programs are addressing these challenges and providing an overview of the current state of adult literacy and education in the United States. The webinar featured successful program strategies for improving literacy levels and preparing adults for sustainable employment. 

Speakers included:

Cheryl Keenan, Director, Division of Adult Education and Literacy, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), U.S. Department of Education

Daphne Greenberg, Distinguished University Professor and Principal Investigator, Center of the Study of Adult Literacy, College of Education & Human Development, Georgia State University

William Durden, Policy Associate, Basic Education for Adults, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC)

Stacey Wedlake, Research Coordinator and Analyst, Technology and Social Change Group, University of Washington Information School

 

This study, prepared by Mathematica, is the fourth annual report to Congress that evaluates 10 SNAP Pilot Projects in California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. The report identifies grantees’ enrollment goals and services, as well as their respective programs’ achievements and challenges. The evaluation used a random assignment research design to assess the level of support offered to SNAP participants on job search assistance, training, and basic and vocational education, as well as subsidized and unsubsidized work experience.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service will host a webinar on July 18, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss the use of intermediaries in the administration of SNAP E&T programs. Intermediaries are organizations that conduct required administrative tasks and support State SNAP programs by centralizing operations and fiscal reporting. The webinar will include speakers from Goodwill of North Georgia, Portland (Oregon) Community College, and Worksystems (the local Workforce Investment Board in Portland, Oregon) who will discuss the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of each of their models.