In the News

Congress is debating stricter SNAP and Medicaid work requirements—but research shows they don’t work

(www.brookings.edu/)

American politics has historically been divided on welfare philosophy, with Republicans and Democrats holding contrasting views on government assistance, what it constitutes, and why we need it, including programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. This raises a critical question: Are lawmakers forming policy through evidence-based decisions or through ideological preconceptions about poverty that ignore the complex and harsh realities low-income Americans face?  

A Toolkit for Using Protective Community Resources to Promote Child, Youth, and Family Well-being

(www.childtrends.org/)

All children, youth, and families deserve to live in thriving communities with access to resources that promote and protect their well-being. Yet in the United States, discriminatory policies and practices in housing, health care, and other determinants of well-being continue to limit access to vital protective resources for many children, youth, and families. To address these disparities, we must first identify which community resources children, youth, and families themselves view as protective—both those they currently have access to and those they lack but desire.