Economic Opportunity Report articles from April 2005

Economic Opportunity Report archives from April 2005

Head Start in the hot seat.(Slants & Trends)
April 11, 2005... HEAD START IN THE HOT SEAT--Congress opened Head Start hearings last week, just as the community is getting over the release of a federal report calling for greater program oversight. House education committee Chairman John Boehner (ROhio)...

Public housing job services program raises earnings across the board.
April 11, 2005... An ambitious employment services program, unusual because it was launched and run inside several of the country's poorest public housing projects, succeeded in raising the earnings of residents from a full gamut of backgrounds. The project...

Low-income programs would suffer more under House budget plan.
April 11, 2005... As House-Senate conferees get ready to draft a compromise budget resolution for the coming year, an analysis suggests that low-income people would lose much more under the House version than under the Senate plan. In fact, the House budget...

Head Start fiscal management is focus of congressional hearings.
April 11, 2005... Providing greater competition for Head Start grants would bring greater accountability to the beleaguered program, Congress heard from witnesses last week. Head Start, which is currently the subject of intense congressional scrutiny as the...

Head Start group charges HHS with trying to discredit program grantees.
April 11, 2005... The National Head Start Association has charged the Bush administration with sending "bogus" citations to hundreds of Head Start grantees nationwide in an effort to discredit the their programs. This is just the latest salvo in an ongoing...

Bill offered to raise minimum wage, give tax relief to small businesses.
April 11, 2005... Another bill to raise the minimum wage is in the hopper, with the introduction last week of a House bill to up hourly pay and provide tax relief for small businesses at the same time. The bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Phil English...

Anti-terrorism grants available to CAAs.(Community Action Agencies)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... Seven grants of $10,000 each are available to Community Action Agencies to launch anti-terrorism programs in their communities. The grants are sponsored by the Community Action Partnership under its Community Land Security program, the...

House TANF measure would not give parents needed child care, panel told.(temporary assistance for needy families )(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... Low-income working parents would not get the child care they need under House legislation to reauthorize the welfare law, a congressional panel was told this month. It is crucial that welfare reauthorization provide enough money to sustain...

'Hybrid' pre-K programs may give low-income families best option.
April 11, 2005... "Hybrid" state programs that mix school- and community-based options for delivering pre-K programming may give low-income parents the means for choosing the best programs for their preschoolers. A surprising number of states--29--already...

Earnings of college graduates greatly outpace those of high school grads.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... When it comes to earnings, the power of a college degree is only growing. Today's college degree is worth almost double the value of a high school diploma, new research from the Census Bureau shows. Last year, those with bachelor's degrees...

Food stamps.(Federal Register)
April 11, 2005... Food Stamps: Food retailers can now recoup partial payment for store-and-forward transactions that are denied for insufficient funds, under interim rules published today. In addition, final rules published today by the Food and Nutrition...

HOPE VI.(Federal Register)
April 11, 2005... HOPE VI: Applications are due June 29 for six grants of up to $20 million each under the HOPE VI program of Revitalization of Severely Distressed Public Housing. The grants are to be used to improve living environments for public housing...

Income eligibility.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... Income Eligibility: USDA has published new Income Eligibility Guidelines governing child nutrition programs for the year beginning July 1. The guidelines reflect increases in federal poverty guidelines and cover these programs: National School...

Deported SSA beneficiaries.(Federal Register)(Social Security Administration )(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... Deported SSA Beneficiaries: The Social Security Administration amended (as of March 31) its procedures for denying Title II benefits to people who have been deported to conform to the terminology of Social Security Protection Act, which treats...

Calendar.(Calendar)
April 11, 2005... * April 11-14: Head Start: Enriching Relationships... Ensuring Success, sponsored by the Florida Head Start Association, in Tampa, Fla. Contact: Beth O'Brien, bethwku@alltel.net. * April 14-16: The National Conference of State Legislatures...

Health center grants.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... Health Center Grants: Some 105 federal health center grants worth more than $63 million will be made to help extend primary health care services to the poor and uninsured. Seventeen of the grants will be announced in May, and the rest will be...

Community Action 'Promise'.
April 11, 2005... Community Action 'Promise': The Community Action Partnership is launching a new quarterly magazine for the CAA community. The Promise will replace the partnership's monthly newsletter. Contact: Community Action Partnership, (202) 265-7546.

Country of many languages.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... Country of Many Languages: Some 322 different languages are spoken in the U.S., ranging from 207 in California to 59 in Wyoming, a new report has found. After English, the most common languages spoken are English, Spanish, French, Chinese,...

NLIHC on the move.(National Low Income Housing Coalition )(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... NLIHC on the Move: The National Low Income Housing Coalition is moving. Effective May 1, the group's new address will be 727 15th St. NW, 6th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005-2168. The phone numbers and web addresses will remain the same: (202)...

Child welfare initiative.(Paul G. Allen Family Foundation )(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... Child Welfare Initiative: The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation is providing $225,000 to the Washington state Child Care Resource & Referral Network for a public-private initiative on quality child care for low-income children. The Seattle-based...

New HHS staff.(recruitment at Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... New HHS Staff: Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt has filled six spots on his senior staff, including a new chief of staff, Rich McKeown, who served in the same role under Leavitt at the Environmental Protection Agency. The other...

Hispanic-serving institutions.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Legislation to enhance the nation's Hispanic Serving Institutions has been introduced in the House by Rep. Henry Hinojosa (D-Texas) and 89 cosponsors. The bill, H.R. 761, would expand federal support for...

Children left behind?(Slants & Trends)(No Child Left Behind Act of 2001)(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND?--A serious challenge has been posed to the Bush administration's centerpiece education law, as the National Education Association and school districts in three states filed suit this month over the No Child Left Behind...

Key House lawmakers call for GAO report on CSBG management.(General Accountability Office., Community Services Block Grant program.)
April 25, 2005... Controversy over management of Head Start programs is spilling over into the Community Services Block Grant program, as key House lawmakers this month asked federal investigators to probe the financial oversight structure of CSBG. The...

Family literacy grants.(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... FAMILY LITERACY GRANTS: Ten family literacy programs, including one that specifically targets the Even Start program President Bush wants to eliminate, won grants this month from the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. The grants range...

Support builds among lawmakers for continuing CSBG funding in FY06.(Community Services Block Grant)
April 25, 2005... Bipartisan support is building in Congress for keeping the Community Services Block Grant alive, at a time when President Bush wants the venerable program zeroed out. A "Dear Colleague" letter circulating in the House had garnered 95...

Administration renews call for more ability to drop Head Start grantees.
April 25, 2005... The administration this month renewed its call for more authority to remove low-performing Head Start grantees, which could include Community Action Agencies that administer programs for low-income preschoolers. In testimony as Congress...

FRAC urges federal government to bring 'MyPyramid' to the poor.(Food Research and Action Center)(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... With this month's release of a new Food Pyramid, advocates moved to help low-income Americans take advantage of the new system and use it keep their weight under control. The Food Research and Action Center called upon the administration...

CAAs help with tax credits for those eligible for Earned Income Tax Credit.(Community Action Agencies)(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... In the tax season that just ended, 149 Community Action Agencies across the country prepared almost 45,000 tax returns yielding more than $43 million in tax refunds for low-income people. Some $34 million of that total came in Earned Income...

Poverty-level families continue to owe income taxes in many states.
April 25, 2005... Taxes are still taking a big bite out of the poor: in 31 of 42 states with an income tax, families with incomes just above the poverty line are taxed, and in 17 of those states, two-parent families of four who live in poverty still owe income...

Bipartisan Senate, House legislation would fight chronic homelessness.
April 25, 2005... Bipartisan legislation introduced this month in the House and Senate aims to fight long-term homelessness with a range of support services to keep people off the streets. The legislation would cover mental health and substance abuse...

Poverty rate for immigrant youngsters triple that for native-born children.(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... More than 20 percent of young children in two-parent immigrant families are poor, triple the poverty rate for children with U.S.-born parents. Lower wages among immigrants account for the higher poverty rate, according to a new report from...

CSBG grants.(Funding Opportunities)(Public Notice)
April 25, 2005... CSBG Grants: Applications are due June 17 under the Community Services Block Grant for technical and financial aid for economic development activities that create employment and business development opportunities. Awards will be made to...

Community food and nutrition.(Funding Opportunities)(Public Notice)
April 25, 2005... Community Food and Nutrition: Applications are due June 17 for the CSBG Food and Nutrition Program. Grants will go to public and private nonprofit agencies, including faith-based groups and organizations helping Indians and migrant and seasonal...

Head Start Hispanic service.(Funding Opportunities)
April 25, 2005... Head Start Hispanic Service: Applications are due June 20 for up to $1.5 million a year for five years for Head Start-Higher Education Hispanic Service Institution Partnerships, which are aimed at improving the quality and effectiveness of Head...

Head Start & Historically Black Colleges.(Funding Opportunities)
April 25, 2005... Head Start & Historically Black Colleges: Applications are due June 20 for up to $1.5 million a year for five years to support Head Start Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Six to 10 awards are expected of up to $150,000 per year....

Head Start tribal partnerships.(Funding Opportunities)(Public Notice)
April 25, 2005... Head Start Tribal Partnerships: Applications are due June 13 for up to $1.5 million a year for five years to support Tribally Controlled Land Grant Colleges and Universities partnerships that seek to increase the number of Head Start teachers...

Tech-Prep Awards.(Funding Opportunities; Tech-Prep Demonstration Program)(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... Tech-Prep Awards: Applications are due May 24 for FY05 awards under the Tech-Prep Demonstration Program. ED expects to award 13 grants ranging from $700,000 to $800,000 over 60 months. Eligible applicants must be consortia including at least...

WIA & One-Stop.(Funding Opportunities)(Workforce Investment Act )(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... WIA & One-Stop: Forty to 50 grants of $20,000 to $25,000 each will be awarded under the One-Stop/America's Labor Market Information System for FY05, the Employment and Training Administration has announced. The awards are to be made by June 30...

WIA Demonstration Grants.(Funding Opportunities)(Workforce Investment Act )(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... WIA Demonstration Grants: Applications are due May 23 for $15 million in WIA Demonstration Grants under the Responsible Reintegration of Youthful Offender program. Fifteen awards averaging $1 million each are expected; applicants may request...

Smaller learning communities.(Funding Opportunities)(Supplemental Reading Program Research Evaluation)(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... Smaller Learning Communities: Eight to 12 grants of $1.25 million to $5 million each are available to local educational agencies for a special competition for the Supplemental Reading Program Research Evaluation. The awards are being made with...

Calendar.
April 25, 2005... * May 2-3: The National Low Income Housing Coalition will hold its Housing Policy Conference and Lobby Day in Washington, D.C. Contact: NLIHC, (202) 662-1530, www.nlihc.org, conference@nlihc.org. * May 5-6: The National Even Start...

Internet used to dispense Head Start information from both HHS, NHSA.(Department of Health and Human Services., National Head Start Association)(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... As the battle over Head Start's future continues in Congress, the administration, advocacy groups and interested parties are turning to the Internet to get public input to help frame the debate. Seeking information on whether Head Start...

Public Housing Operations.(Federal Register)
April 25, 2005... Public Housing Operations: Comments are due June 13 on an overhaul of regulations for the Public Housing Operating Fund Program, which determines allocations of operating subsidies to public housing agencies. See the April 14 Federal Register,...

WIA allotments.(Federal Register; Workforce Investment Act)
April 25, 2005... WIA Allotments: Federal allotments for Workforce Investment Act programs have been announced for program year 2005, which runs July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006. Allotments were announced for Youth Activities and Adults and Dislocated Worker...

Early Head Start.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... Early Head Start: The Administration for Children and Families is seeking public input on evaluation of the Enhanced Home Visiting Pilot Project, which is designed to help relatives and neighbors caring for Early Head Start children gain the...

Liu departing HUD.(Department of Housing and Urban Development)(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... Liu Departing HUD: Michael Liu has announced his resignation as assistant secretary for public and Indian housing at the Housing and Urban Development Department. Liu has served in the post since September 2001.

Simon nominated at ED.(education department)(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... Simon Nominated at ED: President Bush this month nominated Raymond Simon as the new deputy secretary of Education. Simon has been assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education since December 2003. Prior to that, he headed the...

SSI bill.(Supplemental Security Income)(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... SSI Bill: Rep. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) last week introduced legislation to raise incentives for working, saving and education for Supplemental Security Income program recipients. Under Cardin's SSI Modernization Act, H.R. 1682, the monthly general...

Computers, support services.(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... Computers, Support Services: Public housing residents will get more access to computers and more support services to enable them to become economically self-sufficient under $20.7 million in HUD grants announced this month. The funds were...

HUD approves bond deal.(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... HUD Approves Bond Deal: HUD April 20 approved the District of Columbia's bid to issue up to $77.8 million in bonds to be used for modernizing public housing. The approval allows the D.C. agency to use HUD's Capital Fund Financing Program to...

Kindergarten in N.H.(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... Kindergarten in N.H.: New Hampshire's school board has turned back a request to mandate kindergarten for five-year-olds, leaving the state as the only one in the U.S. without such a requirement. As part of a two-year review of education...

Effective parenting.(Brief Article)
April 25, 2005... Effective Parenting: A child and parent advocacy group is asking the White House to create a Presidential Council on Effective Parenting to help build strong relationships and set a foundation for learning. The plan from the Center for the...