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April 21, 2021

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Greetings! Welcome to the latest issue of The Connection, APHSA’s newsletter offering updates and resources pertaining to employment and economic well-being, child and family well-being, and H/HS integration.

We’re growing! APHSA has openings for a Project Director for Advancing Family Economic Mobility, and a Policy Fellow, Technology and Analytics. Positions are located in Arlington, VA but currently available for 100% virtual work.

APHSA Updates

APHSA is partnering with Share Our Strength, whose No Kid Hungry campaign will invest nearly $2 million in six states to advance Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) agency innovation and interagency coordination to combat childhood hunger. APHSA will facilitate cohort learning, provide technical assistance to funded sites, and distill policy implications for relevant stakeholder networks over an 18-month grant period. Read press release and grantee project summaries.

Mark the Third Thursday! Our next Third Thursday session is on May 20. Join us every Third Thursday of each month through June - building on our January-April sessions, we're continuing with topics on Child Welfare, SNAP, TANF, IT, Performance Management, Child Care, & more. It's never too late to join in as your registration allows full access to the entire series! Group discounts available. Learn more & register.

Headlines

What We Can Learn From the Pandemic To Close the Nutrition Gap - Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, 04/07/21 Low-Income Families Left Waiting for Billions in Food Aid – Politico, 04/07/21 U.S. Labor Market Inches Back From the COVID-19 Shock, But Recovery is Far From Complete - Pew Research Center, 04/14/21

Resources

Assisting Families Experiencing Homelessness with TANF Funding: Findings From a Survey of TANF Administrators, April 9, 2021 - This ACF brief is based primarily on findings from a survey of state TANF administrators conducted in 2019. It presents the methods TANF agencies use to identify families experiencing homelessness, the extent to which agencies use TANF funds to provide housing services to families experiencing or at-risk of experiencing homelessness, and what organizations TANF agencies partner with to provide housing assistance. Maximizing P-EBT for Children Under Six in Households Receiving SNAP: Simplifying Assumption Options for State Plans, April 2021 – This policy brief from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) provides summaries of simplifying assumptions for select states with approved P-EBT state plans. FRAC hopes that the information will aid stakeholders in maximizing P-EBT benefits for children under six in SNAP households.

Events

Monday, April 26, 12:00-1:00 PM EDT Biden’s Infrastructure Plan and Alternatives - CATO Institute.

Announcements

The State Child Abuse & Neglect Policies Database, or SCAN Policies Database, is a new data resource that can improve the way we analyze child welfare data to learn more about child maltreatment incidence across the United States. The SCAN Policies Database will make it easier for researchers, analysts, policymakers, child welfare agencies, and others to broaden their understanding of how differences in state laws and policies might influence state variability in incidence rates of child abuse and neglect.

Resources

Improving Early Childhood Development by Allowing Advanced Child Tax Credits, April 8, 2021 - This report from the American Enterprise Institute details a plan that would allow parents to advance future child tax credits into the earliest years of their child’s life, strengthening their ability to choose childcare, instead of subsidizing nonparental care. The proposal allows parents to shift the timing of an already-promised tax benefit, resulting in little long-term cost. Employment Survey, Wave II: Families Emerging from the Economic Crisis, April 9, 2021- This report from the American Enterprise Institute summarizes results from a 2020 longitudinal survey to better understand the changing dynamics of American families during COVID and assess federal efforts to mitigate hardship, offering a unique picture of the changes American families experienced as the pandemic progressed. Documentary: Starting at Zero Reimaging Education in America, April 2021 - To Celebrate Week of the Young Child—a tradition started to recognize the importance of early learning, young children, their teachers, families, and communities, the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation and Firestarter Interactive are partnering with The Hunt Institute to make this documentary available to anyone, free of charge, during the month of April.

Events

Tuesday, May 4, 2:00 PM EDT Webinar: Early Efforts | Creating Equitable Pathways for Advancement within the Early Childhood Workforce - The Hunt Institute. May 4-6, 2021 CWLA 2021 Virtual Conference: Lessons Learned from 2020: Reaching New Heights for Children and Families - Child Welfare League of America. Thursday, May 13, 2:30-3:30 PM EDT University of Maryland Webinar Series: Strengthening Services for Youth by Using Evidence & Partnership - The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work. Tuesday, May 18, 11:00 AM-12:30 PM PT NICWA Webinar Touchstones of Hope: Self-Determination (Part 2) - National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA). May 20-21, 2021 ABA National Conference on Parent Representation - National Alliance for Parent Representation Steering Committee, and ABA Center on Children and the Law.

Resources

COVID-19: Efforts to Increase Vaccine Availability and Perspectives on Initial Implementation, April 14, 2021 - This GAO report reviews vaccine availability and initial vaccine distribution and administration. The report examines, among other issues, actions the federal government has taken to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccine doses, and challenges with initial vaccine implementation. Average Decline in Material Hardship During the Pandemic Conceals Unequal Circumstances, April 14, 2021 - This brief from the Urban Institute shares new analysis highlighting how material hardship has changed in the first year of the pandemic, offering insight into families’ well-being as they recover from the year’s economic fallout. The analysis provides the first national estimates of changes in food insecurity and problems paying for housing, utilities, and health care between 2019 and 2020.

Events

Thursday, April 22, 1:00 PM EDT Artificial Intelligence Shark Tank Event - Human Services IT Advisory Group (HSITAG). Wednesday, April 28, 1:00-2:30 PM EDT Webinar: TANF and Technology: Preparing Workers for Long-Term Success, Office of Family Assistance.   April 28-29, 11:00 AM-3:45 PM EDT Changing the Culture of Data Management and Sharing: A Workshop - The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Thursday, May 6, 2:30-4:30 PM EDT Webinar - CSG Capitol Ideas Presents: A Year of Recovery - Council of State Governments (CSG), the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). June 9-11, 2021 20th Annual Social Equity Leadership Virtual Conference - National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA).

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