Economic Opportunity Report articles from June 2005

Economic Opportunity Report archives from June 2005

She's out.(Slants & Trends)(Windy Hill from National Head Start Association)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... SHE'S OUT--After weathering extended controversy at the helm of the Head Start Bureau, associate commissioner Windy Hill has finally tendered her resignation, much to the delight of her advocacy adversaries. Pulling double duty, Joan...

Head Start reauthorization moves forward; senate panel passes bill.
June 6, 2005... Head Start funding would increase by $300 million and grantees would face more stringent accountability under a reauthorization bill approved unanimously by a key Senate committee last month. Passage of a bill by the Health, Education,...

GAO questions National Head Start Assessment; opponents seek freeze.(Government Accountability Office)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... The controversial assessment of low-income children enrolled in Head Start has drawn criticism from a government watchdog agency, which in turn has advocates seeking a freeze in administering the test. In a new report, the Government...

Bush plan to end CDBG program draws opposition at house hearing.(Community Development Block Grant)
June 6, 2005... President Bush's revolutionary plan to scrap the decades-old Community Development Block Grant program and replace it--along with more than a dozen other programs--with a new umbrella program took some heat at a House hearing last month. ...

'Saving America's cities' advisory committee formed.
June 6, 2005... A diverse group of national political leaders, all with expertise in urban government, has been formed to advise Congress on housing and economic development issues. Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), chairman of the "Saving America's Cities"...

Congress scrutinizes administration's plan to revamp Section 8 vouchers.
June 6, 2005... The Bush administration's proposed revamping of the nation's largest public housing voucher system is undergoing intense scrutiny by Republican and Democratic congressional leaders. In ongoing House and Senate hearings, housing advocates as...

HUD proposes fair market rents for FY06 using new OMB marks.(Department of Housing and Urban Development)
June 6, 2005... Fair market rents proposed for next year reflect changes in metropolitan area definitions, a move that brought controversy and revision when proposed for last year's FMRs. The changes would alter the FMRs from what they would have been had...

Child index shows mixed picture: some gains, some losses.
June 6, 2005... Key indicators of child well-being show improvements in teen birth, child victimization, violent crime and cigarette, drug and substance abuse rates. At the same time, health, financial and educational attainment rates show many children still...

Calendar.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
June 6, 2005... * June 15-16: The Advisory Committee on Head Start Accountability and Educational Performance Measures will meet in Bethesda, Md. The committee is to develop a plan for accomplishing its mission and hear presentations on existing Head Start...

Head Start Migrant Services.(Funding Opportunities)
June 6, 2005... * Head Start Migrant Services: The Administration for Children and Families has $35 million available in new funding to serve preschool-age children of migrant workers through Head Start. Grants are available to organizations currently serving...

Refugee resettlement.(Funding Opportunities)
June 6, 2005... * Refugee Resettlement: Proposed allocations to states for FY05 refugee social services funds under the Refugee Resettlement Program have been published. A final notice is to be published later to make adjustments to account for final figures...

Unaccompanied alien children.(Funding Opportunities)
June 6, 2005... * Unaccompanied Alien Children: Applications are due July 18 for grants to provide temporary shelter and related services to children in Office of Refugee Resettlement custody. See the June 2 Federal Register, p. 32343.

Rural housing.(Funding Opportunities)
June 6, 2005... * Rural Housing: Applications are due June 24 for up to $1 million in technical and supervisory assistance grants from the Rural Housing Service. Individual grants will be for up to $100,000. A portion of funding is to go to states with the...

Abstinence education.(Funding Opportunities)
June 6, 2005... * Abstinence Education: Applications are due June 20 for development and implementation of the Community-Based Abstinence Education Program for teens. Priority funding will go to groups with a strong record of providing abstinence education to...

Public housing incentives.(Funding Opportunities)
June 6, 2005... * Public Housing Incentives: Applications are due July 18 for up to $10 million under the Public Housing Graduation Incentive Bonus Program for FY05. Awards will range from $12,275 to $207,209, based upon Public Housing Authority low-rent size...

Family violence prevention.(Funding Opportunities)
June 6, 2005... * Family Violence Prevention: Applications are due July 1 for funds to state domestic violence coalitions for grants to implement family violence intervention and prevention activities. One grant each will be available for every state, the...

SuperNOFA grace period.(Funding Opportunities)
June 6, 2005... * SuperNOFA Grace Period: HUD has announced a grace period for applicants submitting electronic applications through www.grants.gov for certain programs listed in the March 21 Super Notice of Funding Availability (SuperNOFA). See the May 25...

Head Start.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... * Head Start: The federal Head Start Bureau is outlining new plans to collect data for the Head Start National Training and Technical Assistance Quality Assurance Study. The Office of Management and Budget is to make a decision within on the...

TANF guidance.(Federal Register)
June 6, 2005... * TANF Guidance: The Health and Human Services Department is seeking comment on state guidance for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. See the May 20 Federal Register, p. 29316.

Student aid.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... * Student Aid: The Federal Need Analysis Methodology to be used for the 2006-07 award year has been published for federal student assistance programs. The tables set out students' expected family contribution under the Pell Grant, Perkins Loan,...

Senior farmers' market.(Federal Register)
June 6, 2005... * Senior Farmers' Market: Comments are due July 25 on proposed rules implementing Farm Bill provisions for the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. See the May 26 Federal Register, p. 30558. Contact: Debra Whitford or Donna Hines, USDA,...

Affordable communities.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... * Affordable Communities: HUD has published a notice outlining actions taken since November 2003 to remove regulatory barriers to affordable housing, in response to a notice published at that time seeking public comment on such barriers. See...

'Gangbusters' legislation.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... * 'Gangbusters' Legislation: Legislation has passed the House to raise penalties for gang-related offenses. The bill, H.R. 1279, would allow juveniles to be tried as adults if they are 16 at the time of the crime. The House approved the bill...

Community development aid.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... * Community Development Aid: The U.S. Agriculture Department last week announced more than $6.5 million in technical assistance grants to 35 community-based development organizations, low-income communities and Indian tribes to help develop...

In-state tuition.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... * In-State Tuition: Illegal immigrants who have GEDs or high school diplomas from New Mexico schools will now get in-state status to state colleges and universities, under legislation signed into law last month. The Enchantment State thus joins...

High school reform.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... * High School Reform: New legislation introduced in the Senate aims to raise high school graduation rates nationwide by providing funds for literacy and math coaches and more academic and career counselors. The Pathways for All Students to...

After-school funding.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... * After-School Funding: More than 500 parents, children, educators and advocates visited Capitol Hill May 18 to seek more funding for after-school programs, including the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. The White House budget...

Simon confirmed.(appointment of Raymond Simon as deputy secretary of education)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... * Simon Confirmed: The Senate last week confirmed Raymond Simon as deputy secretary of Education. Simon has been assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education since December 2003.

'Tis the season.(Slants & Trends)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... 'TIS THE SEASON--Congress has moved into high gear on appropriations bills, with committees and subcommittees having turned out seven just in the past two weeks. The big news: Community Services Block Grants were not zeroed out, but funding was...

CSBG Slashed to $320 million in FY06 under House Committee funding bill.(fiscal year)(Community Service Block Grant)
June 20, 2005... Community Action Agencies could have a lot less to work with next year, as the House Appropriations Committee last week approved just $320 million for the mainstay anti-poverty program. The June 16 action came a week after the...

Number of low-income Californians facing hunger is on the increase.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... The number of Californians wondering where their next meal is coming from is increasing significantly, a new report shows. One or three low-income adults in the state--more than 2.9 million people--reported being food insecure in 2003. The...

House clears USDA funding bill, would lift ban on new WIC stores.(United States Department of Agriculture)
June 20, 2005... The current moratorium on opening more WIC-only stores could be lifted if certain conditions were met, under a USDA funding bill passed by the House this month. The bill, which cleared the House June 8, includes $5.257 billion for WIC,...

House subcommittee rejects Bush's plan to eliminate CDBG program.(Community Development Block Grant)
June 20, 2005... President Bush's dramatic proposal to eliminate the Community Development Block Grant went down to defeat in a House subcommittee last week. Instead of zeroing out the program, the panel put in $4.2 billon for the massive block grant...

Head Start not meeting full need of eligible poor Hispanic children.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Head Start programs are not enrolling Hispanic children anywhere close to the numbers that are eligible, a new report suggests. A full third of the children eligible for Head Start are Latinos, yet enrollment figures show enormous unmet...

Major Head Start study out: two sides differ on what findings mean.
June 20, 2005... The long-awaited results are out on the federal Head Start impact study, but the two sides are interpreting the findings differently. To the Bush administration, the findings show Head Start children still lag behind their more affluent...

Job Training programs not doing enough for minorities, study finds.
June 20, 2005... Federal job training programs are not doing enough to help minorities get into the workforce, and the result is less success for blacks and Latinos in the workplace, a new report has found. "The most important take-home message is the...

Almost one in five children found to face hunger, group reports.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Hunger continues to plague the nation's poor children, with nearly one of every five children facing hunger and lack of quality food, the Children's Defense Fund has reported. With low-income families spending about a quarter of their...

Governors propose reform plan for Medicaid; CBPP calls it a mixed bag.(Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)
June 20, 2005... With Medicaid costs devouring state budgets, the nation's governors last week proposed a reform plan to give states more flexibility to improve their programs while suggesting ways to cut costs and reduce inefficiencies. The plan,...

Housing market hits new heights, but affordability still a big problem.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... While the housing market continues to be hot, with 2004 marked by record growth, the picture is not so rosy for those at the low-income end of the spectrum. That is the picture painted in the newly released State of the Nation's Housing...

Student aid.(Federal Register)(government aid to student assistance programs)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Student Aid: The Federal Need Analysis Methodology to be used for the 2006-07 award year has been published for federal student assistance programs. The tables set out students' expected family contribution under the Pell Grant, Perkins Loan,...

Student aid deadlines.(Federal Register)
June 20, 2005... Student Aid Deadlines: The Education Department has announced deadlines for receiving applications, reports and other records for the 2005-06 award year under the Perkins Loan, Work-Study, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Family...

CACFP agreements.(Federal Register)(Child and Adult Care Food Program)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... CACFP Agreements: USDA published a final rule outlining agreements between sponsoring organizations and family or group day care homes participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. These agreements are to be permanent and remain in...

Assets for independence.(Federal Register)
June 20, 2005... Assets for Independence: An additional closing date of July 15 has been set for grant applications under the Assets for Independence Program. This date is added to the previous dates-March 15, June 15 and Nov. 1-announced in a Feb. 9 notice. In...

Community development.(Federal Register)
June 20, 2005... Community Development: Comments are due Sept. 8 on a proposed outcome performance measurement system for Community Planning and Development Formula Grant programs. See the draft proposal in the June 10 Federal Register, p. 34044. Contact: Margy...

Empowerment zones.(Federal Register)
June 20, 2005... Empowerment Zones: Comments are due Aug. 8 on proposed planning and performance standards for using grant funds allocated to Empowerment Zones. See the proposal in the June 8 Federal Register, p. 33642. Contact: John Haines, HUD, (202)...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 20, 2005... * Oct. 19-20: Women & Poverty Conference: Sharing Experiences... Building a Future will be held in Green Bay, Wisc., by the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association. Contact: www.wiscap.org. * Oct. 19-21: The National Conference of...

Refugee resettlement.(Funding Opportunities)
June 20, 2005... Refugee Resettlement: Proposed allocations to states for FY05 refugee social services funds under the Refugee Resettlement Program have been published. A final notice is to be published later to make adjustments to account for final figures for...

IDAs for refugees.(Funding Opportunities)
June 20, 2005... IDAs for Refugees: Applications are due July 21 for projects to establish and manage Individual Development Accounts for low-income refugees to use to save for education and other expenses. Grantees can use the funds to provide matches for...

Unaccompanied alien children.(Funding Opportunities)
June 20, 2005... Unaccompanied Alien Children: Applications are due July 18 for grants to provide temporary shelter and related services to children in Office of Refugee Resettlement custody. See the June 2 Federal Register, p. 32343.

Healthy marriages.(Funding Opportunities)
June 20, 2005... Healthy Marriages: The administration has announced nearly $2 million for new grants under its Healthy Marriage initiative, with grants to average $150,000, and applications due July 8. See the May 27 Federal Register, p. 30738. HHS also has...

Community Food/Nutrition.(Funding Opportunities)
June 20, 2005... Community Food/Nutrition: Applications are due July 21 for funding under the Community Food and Nutrition Program for community-based, local, statewide and national program to: coordinate public and private food assistance resources, help...

WIA Hispanic initiative.(Funding Opportunities)
June 20, 2005... WIA Hispanic Initiative: Applications are due Aug. 15 for about $5 million in demonstration grant funds to test innovative training strategies for people with limited English proficiency and Hispanics, particularly those lacking basic and...

Early Learning.(Funding Opportunities)
June 20, 2005... Early Learning: Applications are due July 15 for funds under the Early Learning Opportunities Act for child care, health, welfare and early intervention services. The funds will support Local Councils that include a cross-section of early...

Child care access.(Funding Opportunities)
June 20, 2005... Child Care Access: Applications are due July 22 for $10.3 million in funds to support campus-based child care for low-income parents enrolled in postsecondary education. Some 218 awards ranging from $10,000 to $300,000 each--and averaging...

Family violence prevention.(Funding Opportunities)
June 20, 2005... Family Violence Prevention: Applications are due July 25 for grants to provide enhanced services for children and youth exposed to domestic violence. See the June 8 Federal Register, p. 33499.

'Great' funds.(Gang Resistance Education and Training Program)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... 'GREAT' FUNDS: More than $24 million will be spent on fighting gangs at the school level, under funding announced this month by the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs for school-based classroom instruction under the Gang...

Anti-violence measure.(Violence Against Women Act of 2000)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Anti-Violence Measure: Legislation to provide better shelter and protections for battered and homeless women and their families was introduced this month by Sens. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Arlen Spector (R-Pa.). Their...

New Medicaid initiative.(long-term care services for elder residents and disabled persons)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... New Medicaid Initiative: A new Medicaid Program in Vermont is expected to give disabled and elderly residents more choices for long-term care. The Vermont Long-Term Care Plan, which will be run under a Section 1115 waiver approved this month by...

Pell grants.(regulation on grants to college students )(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Pell Grants: Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) and five cosponsors have introduced a bill to double the Pell grant awards for college students studying in areas involving national security. Under the 21st Century Federal Pell Grant Plus Act,...

Farmers market launched.(Farmers Market Nutrition Program )(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Farmers Market Launched: The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has started its Farmers Market Nutrition Program for 2005. From June 1 through Nov. 30, eligible WIC participants and seniors can redeem vouchers for fresh produce at roadside...

Internet, computer usage.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Internet, Computer Usage: While computer and Internet use has risen dramatically among people of all ages, disparities remain based on educational attainment and income. For example, adults with graduate education were four times more likely to...