|
Early Childhood Development Brings an Economic High Rate of Return
This article from the fedgazette online magazine examines early childhood development programs as a priority for state and local governments and a key to economic benefits. Studies find that well-focused investments in early childhood development yield high public as well as private returns. The article makes a case for public funding of early childhood development in Minnesota and backs it up with research, studies, and program results.
++++++++++ The other side of the Social Security Debate: What Social Security means to children and families The National Center for Children in Poverty brings to our notice over five million children who benefit from Social Security, either directly as beneficiaries, as dependents of workers who have become disabled, or indirectly as family members in households where an adult relies on Social Security. Here are two documents to review: Why Social Security Matters to Children and Families: What Every Policymaker Should Know – Five page fact sheet loaded with information and statistics, with endnotes. Whose Security? What Social Security Means to Children and Families – Policy brief describes the role that Social Security plays in protecting America’s children and argues that the current debate ignores how privatization and benefit cuts will impact our most vulnerable population – children. 10 page pdf file. ++++++++++ State Ombudsman Programs This new Juvenile Justice Bulletin describes the role of an ombudsman and examines how Tennessee, Connecticut, and Georgia have designed diverse ombudsman programs to serve the needs of children and youth. Also provides information on establishing an ombudsman office. 21 page pdf file. ++++++++++ Immigration and Kids Children of Recent Immigrants: National and Regional Trends This new report from the National Center for Children in Poverty says that 65% of the children of recent immigrants are low-income. Other data from the report: - Two-thirds of children of low-income, recent immigrants live in the South and West.
- Nationally, 85% of these children live with parents who are employed and 71% live with married parents.
- Almost half (45%) of children of low-income, recent immigrants have parents who do not hold a high school degree.
Mentally Retarded Refugee Orphan’s Quest for Freedom and Justice and the Need for Systemic Reform in the Treatment of Unaccompanied Alien Children Malik, a mentally retarded teenager, has become a powerful symbol of the plight of over 5,000 unaccompanied alien children arriving in the U.S. every year in search of protection, freedom and safety. He was detained primarily in adult prisons while his asylum proceedings dragged on for three years. His special needs as a mentally disabled child were neglected. Immigration officials never acted on his request to seek relief in state court as an abandoned child, a process which would have made him eligible for a green card under the special immigrant juvenile visa program. Because he had three international law firms and an army of pro bono attorneys working on his behalf Malik is now free. Most refugee children are unrepresented in their immigration proceedings because they are not afforded the right to government-appointed presentation. ++++++++++ Exceptional Returns: Economic, Fiscal, and Social Benefits of Investment in Early Childhood Development The Economic Policy Institute has just released this new report on the youngest and most vulnerable children in the United States. Nearly one in five children underage six lives in poverty, and the number is rising. A strong consensus among the experts who have studied high-quality early childhood development programs is that these programs have substantial payoffs. The study demonstrates, for the first time, that providing all 20% of the nation’s three- and four-year-old children who live in poverty with a high-quality ECD program would have a substantial payoff for governments and taxpayers in the future. The link above is to a brief summary of the report. Click here for the full 44 page pdf file. ++++++++++ SEED, a Charter boarding school in Washington, D.C. SEED is a boarding school based on the idea of taking kids out of living and learning environments that are failing them and giving them the skills they need will produce able adults. The Class of 2004 is the first graduating class of the school. 21 of the original 40 SEED members of the Class of 04 will graduate from high school this year and all 21 of them are going to college. ++++++++++ Being an Advocate - ABCs of Advocacy – The subject of the interview in this article, advocate Sue Thau, says only 5 to 10% of U.S. voters ever contact their legislators about public-policy issues, which explains why even small groups of dedicated advocates can have a disproportionate influence on decisions made in Washington and state capitols.
++++++++++ Children’s Rights |
Subject Library 
