Economic Opportunity Report articles from July 2004

Economic Opportunity Report archives from July 2004

One more time.(Slants & Trends)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... ONE MORE TIME--President Bush June 30 signed into law yet another extension, this one until Sept. 30, for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program. The extension legislation, P.L. 108-262, will carry the program...

Saved by the bell.(Slants & Trends)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... SAVED BY THE BELL--Federal social service programs have escaped--for now--what could have been deep funding cuts when the House last week rejected a move by conservatives to cap entitlement programs other than Social Security. The measure would...

Bush signs bill to reauthorize child nutrition, WIC programs.(Women, Infants and Children)
July 5, 2004... Legislation designed to increase food assistance for low-income families has been signed into law, culminating a two-year process to reauthorize child nutrition and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs. The measure makes a bold...

A rose is a rose: USDA considers name change for food stamps.(United States. Department of Agriculture)
July 5, 2004... After 65 years, the Food Stamps Program may get a new name. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking comment on whether the program should be renamed "to more accurately describe its current method of operation and goal of providing...

USDA announces end of an era with full conversion to EBT food stamps.(Electronic Benefits Transfer )(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... It is the end of an era for food stamps. So said Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman last month, in announcing that the "paper era" has ended, and now every state and U.S. territory provides food stamp benefits electronically rather than with...

House appropriations committee clears USDA funding bill for '05.
July 5, 2004... Increases in funding for child nutrition, food stamps and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program are contained in a fiscal 2005 funding bill adopted last month by the House Appropriations Committee. The committee June 23 cleared the...

Bill would expand child care options for low-income college students.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... A bill to expand child care options for low-income individuals wanting to attend college but have no one to watch their children has been introduced in the House. The bill, H.R. 4296, would raise to $75 million the authorized funding for...

House members named to WIA House-Senate conference panel.( Workforce Investment Act )(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Congress is a step closer to coming up with a Workforce Investment Act (WIA) reauthorization bill, as the House last month named members for the conference committee that must work out differences between the two chambers' versions of the bill....

Researchers point to gains for Head Start kids by kindergarten.
July 5, 2004... A comprehensive study of low-income children enrolled in Head Start programs shows the children make "substantial gains" toward meeting national averages in early reading and writing skills by the time they finish kindergarten. Even though...

NHSA: Head Start chief Hill announces plans to resign.(National Head Start Association)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Embattled Head Start Bureau chief Windy Hill has announced plans to resign, effective in November, the National Head Start Association (NHSA) has reported. That, however, appears to be news to the Department of Health and Human Services....

Working families need coverage under head start year-round.
July 5, 2004... Full-day, year-round Head Start services are needed now more than ever, with most families in the program having at least one working parent, a new report has suggested. Almost three-quarters--72 percent--of Head Start households had one...

Two plead guilty in case involving Head Start fraud.(Court Action)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... A community action council employee and a local business owner have pleaded guilty to charges involving theft or embezzlement from federal programs in a Head Start fraud case. Vanessa Johnson, an employee of the Tom Green Community Action...

Assessing LEP students.(limited english proficient)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Assessing LEP Students: The U.S. Education Department last month proposed new regulations to implement Title I statutory changes concerning academic achievement of limited English proficient (LEP) students. The rules would alter the way...

WIA living standard.(Regulations)(Workforce Investment Act)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * WIA Living Standard: Effective June 25, a new Lower Living Standard Income Level will govern benefits under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) for 2004. The annual standard is used to define a "low income individual,"...

HHS announces new research on growth of early head start.(U.S. Health and Human Services Department)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... The federal government has announced a major new research effort to document the growth of Early Head Start services for infants and toddlers. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department June 23 outlined the initiative to gather a...

Head start needs.(Grant Opportunities)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Head Start Needs: Supplemental funding is available to Head Start grantees to meet one-time needs for improving transportation; correcting noncompliance problems; replacing old or potentially unsafe equipment; and renovating or repairing...

Rural Housing.(Grant Opportunities)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Rural Housing: USDA's Rural Housing Service is seeking competitive bids for 25 grants totaling up to $2 million. Grants are for technical and supervisory assistance for low-income rural residents to help them get and maintain adequate...

Rural Schools.(Grant Opportunities)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Rural Schools: Local education agencies eligible for fiscal 2004 funds under the Small, Rural School Achievement Program are listed at the U.S. Education Department's Web site at www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/reap.html. Under the program, ED awards...

Starbucks Foundation.(Grant Opportunities)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Starbucks Foundation: Low-income, at-risk youth are targeted in "Power of Literacy" grants to be funded by the Starbucks Foundation. The grants range from $5,000 to $20,000 each for "programs that stimulate personal development and a...

Head Start grantee.(Grant Opportunities)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Head Start Grantee: The federal Head Start Bureau has $1 million available annually to serve children in Pointe Coupee Parish, La. The former grantee served 167 children and their families. The deadline is July 30. Send applications to: ACYF...

Early intervention.(Grant Opportunities)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Early Intervention: The U.S. Education Department has $6.7 million for new grants to improve services and results for disabled children, including infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Projects should build state and local capacity to improve...

Disabled victims.(Grant Opportunities)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Disabled Victims: HHS' Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has $150,000 for three grants for demonstrations of improved service delivery to victims of domestic violence who are disabled. Applications are due July 19. Contact...

ACF has corrected its June 1 notice (Federal Register, p. 30933) on funding for the domestic violence/runaway homeless youth program.(Grant Opportunities)(Correction Notice)
July 5, 2004... * ACF has corrected its June 1 notice (Federal Register, p. 30933) on funding for the domestic violence/ runaway homeless youth program--specifically, the list of eligible applicants (EOR, June 7, p. 119). Contact the ACYF Operations Centers,...

Head Start data.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Head Start Data: The Administration on Children and Families will be collecting new Head Start Program Information Report data. The data examine the number of children served, staffing, program services and other areas. All grantees should...

First-time claims.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * First-Time Claims: First-time unemployment claims rose to a seven-week high last month, the Labor Department reported. For the week ending June 4, 352,000 first-time unemployment claims were filed, up 12,000 from the previous week and the...

Rural jobs.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Rural Jobs: A new administration initiative has been announced to create more jobs in rural areas, through joint efforts of the U.S. Agriculture Department and the Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA, on behalf of USDA, will help venture...

Dental care.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Dental Care: A bill introduced in the House last month would provide benefits under Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program to states that bolster access to dental care for children. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Michael...

ACF bonus awards.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * ACF Bonus Awards: The U.S. Administration for Children and Families has released guidance to state child care agencies on high-performance bonus awards. Factors include accessibility of programs, including the percent of children served, plus...

Educating illegal aliens.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Educating Illegal Aliens: Schools and community agencies have a tough time estimating the costs of educating illegal immigrant children because of insufficient data on the illegal immigrant population, the General Accounting Office has said....

Children in Pennsylvania.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Children in Pennsylvania: New indicators of child well-being in Pennsylvania show a need for greater intervention to reduce poverty and the incidence of low birthweight children, advocates say. One in six Pennsylvania children is born at low...

Jobs are issue number one.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Jobs are Issue Number One: Jobs and the economy are the top issues in the upcoming presidential election, according to a survey of Michigan voters released last month. Some 37 percent of voters in the state put jobs and the economy as the...

Working overtime.(Slants & Trends)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... WORKING OVERTIME--The Bush administration's controversial overtime regulations have gotten a poor review from a panel of independent investigators. The authors--three former Labor Department officials who served under both Republican and...

House panel cuts CSBG slightly, adds funds for head start.(Community Service Block Grant)
July 19, 2004... The Community Service Block Grant would be cut by $14 million--substantially less than the $147 million cut that President Bush sought--under a fiscal 2005 funding bill approved last week by the House Appropriations Committee. The...

House approves USDA funding With boosts for food stamps, WIC.(United States. Department of Agriculture)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... Funding for both food stamps and the Women's, Infants and Children (WIC) program would increase under a fiscal 2005 USDA funding bill approved by the House last week. The bill, which sailed through the House on a 389-31 vote July 13, would...

Perkins reauthorization measure passed by House subcommittee.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... Reauthorization of the Perkins vocational educational programs took a major leap forward last week, as a House panel approved a bill that aims to strengthen coordination between secondary and postsecondary programs and create a "model sequence...

Vocational education boosts earnings for economically disadvantaged students.
July 19, 2004... Economically disadvantaged student can raise their earnings potential in the short and medium term by taking vocational education courses, the new National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE) suggests. In fact, the NAVE study found...

Head start children make gains at age 4, assessment finds.(Research Notes)
July 19, 2004... While in Head Start programs, low-income children make academic gains, including progress in vocabulary and letter recognition, preliminary data from the new national Head Start assessment show. The controversial assessment, the nation's...

Calendar.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
July 19, 2004... * The Mid-Atlantic Region Anti-Hunger Leaders Meeting is set for Sept. 16 in Richmond, Va. Contact: Central Virginia Food Bank, www.cvfb.org. * The Community Action Partnership is hosting its 2004 annual convention in Washington, D.C.,...

Community college attendance reaps benefits for Calif. welfare recipients.
July 19, 2004... Welfare recipients who take advantage of a state program allowing them to attend community college to fulfill work requirements are twice as likely to work year-round and wind up earning substantially more than do other welfare recipients. ...

HHS: states transfer $1 billion from TANF into block grant.(Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... Almost $1 billion of the $2.6 billion states spent on the Social Services Block Grant in 2002 came from funding transferred from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, new government data show. The 1996 welfare...

HHS approves plans to expand SCHIP in Arkansas, New York.(Department of Health and Human Services)(State Children's Health Insurance Program)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... A request from Arkansas to expand prenatal care to low-income pregnant women and their unborn children won approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this month. Arkansas thus becomes the seventh state to take...

Share of single moms lacking jobs declines slightly, analysis finds.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... In recent years, the share of single mothers who are also unemployed has dropped slightly, from 73 percent in 2000 to just under 70 percent in 2003, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has reported. While this is a larger...

HHS seeks heightened coordination for child welfare technical assistance.(Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... The federal government plans to create seven National Child Welfare Centers to act as single points of entry for requesting training and technical assistance. With every jurisdiction in the country failing the just-completed federal Child...

Poll: voters consider housing, affordability a widespread problem.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... Affording housing is a problem for more than half of likely voters recently surveyed or for someone they know, a new poll has found. Fifty-two percent of respondents said they or someone they knew well had trouble paying their rent,...

Immigrant status does not deter students from college enrollment.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... High school graduates from immigrant families are just as likely to attend college and to do well there as are graduates from families born in America, new federally funded research shows. These immigrant children, however, are far more likely...

Family planning service.(Grants)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... * Family Planning Service: Public and nonprofit private entities are eligible for Title X family planning service grants. For fiscal 2005, $46 million is expected for competitive grant awards in 16 states, populations and/or areas. The rest of...

Student Support Services.(Grants)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... * Student Support Services: Applications are due Aug. 31 for grants under the Student Support Services program to increase the number of disadvantaged low-income college students, first-generation college students and college students with...

Health centers.(Grants)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... * Health Centers: Applications are being accepted for competitive grants to promote continued operation of community-based primary health care service systems in medically underserved areas for medically underserved populations, the Health...

CDBG eligibility.(Regulations)(Community Development Block Grant )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... * CDBG Eligibility: New proposed rules would expand the definition of "slums or blight" to include environmental contamination, as well as economic disinvestments, as blighting influences for purposes of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)...

WIA nondiscrimination.(Regulations)(Workforce Investment Act)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... * WIA Nondiscrimination: The Department of Labor has withdrawn parts of regulations proposed Sept. 30, 2003, to bar the use of all Workforce Investment Act Title I financial assistance for the employment or training of participants in religious...

HUD & faith-based groups.(Regulations)(Department of Housing and Urban Development)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... * HUD & Faith-Based Groups: Likewise, HUD July 9 implemented a final rule clarifying that faith-based organizations may compete on an equal footing with other organizations for federal funding. This final rule is effective Aug. 9. See the July...

Minimum wage.(for young children)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... * Minimum Wage: Adults comprise nearly 75 percent of those paid at the minimum wage, and many have to support young children, say proponents of an increase in the nation's base wage. At a recent news conference, congressional Democrats and...

Child care credit.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... * Child Care Credit: Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the expected Democratic nominee for president, has a new child care credit program aimed at helping low-income families. Kerry wants to increase the maximum amount of child care expenses eligible...

ED-Kiwanis partnership.(Education Department, Kiwanis International)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... * ED-Kiwanis Partnership: A newly announced partnership between the U.S. Education Department (ED) and Kiwanis International aims to involve the business community in ED efforts to make sure students are prepared to succeed in college and the...

Housing official.(Russell Davis appointed)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... * Housing Official: Russell Davis has been named administrator of the Rural Housing Service, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman has announced. As administrator, Davis will oversee rural housing programs that provide assistance to disadvantaged...