This Child Trends Research Brief reviews the neighborhood support index in terms of how neighborhoods can affect children and families. Research has shown that recreation centers in disadvantaged neighborhoods are associated with reductions in crime and violence. Additionally, researchers have found that neighborhood characteristics, such as too few play areas, heavy street traffic, or too many abandoned homes, can have a negative impact for children. Utilizing data from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health, authors construct a Neighborhood Support Index.

The Workforce Strategies Initiative published this update on how community colleges and sector initiatives are collaborating to benefit businesses and low-income workers seeking. As there is a continued demand for workers educated beyond high school, 43 percent of adults between the ages of 25 and 64 in the United States are not educated beyond a high school level.

The use of faith-based organizations to delivery public services has increased over the last two years due to program devolution and privatization. Researchers gathered information on faith-based organizations in each State, and outline the findings in the following report.

Engaging employers is key in supporting youth transition in the workforce and foster job retention and advancement. This paper, from the Center for Children at the University of Chicago, provides the findings from interviews with youth program providers, employers, and policy makers. Researchers conclude by identifying disconnects in the service delivery and offer recommendations on how providers can expand employer involvement.

This report, co-authored by the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices and Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC) is based largely on a roundtable meeting conducted in April 2000 by both organizations to discuss expanding postsecondary opportunities for low-income working parents and welfare recipients.

This is a November 2003 Newsletter generated by the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network on how TANF and Child Support Enforcement can partner to better serve families.

Authored by Lynne Fender and Jen Bernstein. This Urban Institute report was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. This study describes policies and practices in Connecticut, Minnesota, and Texas designed to coordinate the child support enforcement program, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to secure and sustain appropriate health care coverage for child support-eligible children. Based on site visits to the 3 States, the report documents both successes in cross-program coordination as well as challenges to effective coordination.

This report details the three day Leadership Conference of ACF's West Central Hub. Topics discussed include fatherhood, healthy marriages, faith-based and community initiatives, and positive youth development.

A new article by Mark Ragan, Senior Fellow of the Rockefeller Institute, "Study Identifies Multiple Strategies and Critical Factors for Integrating Human Services," was published by The Research Forum on Children, Families, and the New Federalism in March 2003.

This report sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) describes the key decisions and activities undertaken in privatizing TANF case management and documents the lessons learned in six study sites from their experiences in privatizing TANF case management.