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October 15, 2020

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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.

Special Announcements Our next Leadership Corner series session, "Leading Courageously in Crisis: Rules of the Road, Part 2," with author and historian Nancy F. Koehn, is being held on November 18. Experience AAHHSA 360 is a two-day virtual event to be held on October 20-21 for the American Association of Health & Human Services Attorneys (AAHHSA). Stay tuned for additional upcoming APHSA virtual events in the months ahead!

Announcements

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) and the Food, Research, and Action Center (FRAC) released a new detailed report of their project and a report of lessons learned from their Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Documentation Project, which evaluates how states implemented this new program this past spring. The first ever SNAP E&T National Forum is underway this week! While registration for the conference is closed, recordings of sessions will be available through the online conference portal in the coming days for those who were able to register for the conference but not able to attend a session.

Headlines

Leveraging Implementation Science to Public Health Response to COVID-19: Child Food Insecurity and Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs – SAGE and Public Health Reports, 10/20 The COVID Economy Carves Deep Divide Between Haves and Have-Nots – Wall Street Journal, 10/05/20 School Meals in Rural Communities: A Vital Service During COVID-19 and Beyond – Tisch Center at Columbia University, 10/07/20 Strengthening Food Security and Sovereignty in Indian Country – MAZON, 10/12/20

Resources

Meeting the Needs of Jobs Seekers and Employers: A Synthesis of Findings on Sector Strategies, September 2020 - This report from MDRC evaluates seven sector strategies programs designed to train job seekers for high-quality employment in specific industries and occupational clusters. This evaluation also assesses employment and earnings, including the long-term economic impacts of sector programs. Evaluation and Analytics to Improve, Not Just Evaluate, Program Performance, October 2020 - This report from the Urban Institute explores how performance measurement and management, data analytics, and program evaluation can improve government programs' outcomes. This study also shows how evaluation can help agencies detect problems, design treatment, and enhance continuous quality improvement. The Use of TANF Funds for Emergency Rental Assistance and Eviction Prevention During COVID-19, October 13, 2020 - The Urban Institute released a brief discussing how the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program can provide needed emergency financial assistance to renters and help prevent evictions nationwide.

Events

October 13-15 and October 19-22, 2020 Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS) 2020, RECS. Monday, October 19, 12:00-1:15 PM EDT APHSA Webinar - Insights for Community Action Agencies (CAAs): Designing Better Programs to Support Young Parent Families, National Community Action Partnership, the Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council (WEOC), Third Sector. Wednesday, October 21, 2:00-3:00 PM EDT Webinar - Economic Recovery in American Cities: Building Black Businesses and Wealth, Brookings Institute. Thursday, October 29, 2:00-3:00 PM EDT Webinar - Evaluation Planning for Remote Workforce Services and Online Learning, Workforce GPS.

Announcements

National Institute of Health (NIH) Awards Nearly $234 Million for COVID-19 Testing for Underserved Communities, September 30, 2020 - NIH has partnered with the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnosis (RADx) initiative in order to provide COVID testing for underserved communities. This program will support 32 institutions across the country that will focus on populations that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. This program aims to understand COVID-19 testing patterns better among underserved and vulnerable populations as well as develop strategies to reduce the disparities in COVID-19 testing.

Headlines

Child Advocate of Office Expands Oversight Jurisdiction – Associated Press, 09/21/20 National Center for State Courts Issues Resolution for Racial Equity – Children’s Bureau Express, 10/13/20 Parents and Child-Care Providers Are Still Struggling as the Pandemic Drags On - CNBC, 10/13/20

Resources

Picking Up the Pieces: Building a Better Child Care System Post COVID-19, September, 2020 - This report released from Child Care Aware highlights changes that could be made to the child care industry post COVID-19. Latest State-by-State Use of CARES Act Funds to Support Child Care Through the Fall, September 30, 2020 - This reporting from the Bipartisan Policy Center details state-by-state uses of CARES Act funding.

Announcements

ACF Digital Inclusion Resources for State and Tribal Human Services Leaders, October 7, 2020 - The ACF Office of Regional Operations (ORO) compiled this document in response to the pressing need for connectivity, devices, internet access and technical assistance so that more families have access to digital resources. Funding streams and opportunities from several federal agencies are highlighted, as well as information to learn more about digital inclusion such as policy and data briefs from both federal agencies and external organizations.

Headlines

4 Million More Americans Turn to Medicaid As Coronavirus Roils the Economy – CNN, 10/02/20 CareFirst Takes Over Management of Medicaid Plans from University of Maryland Medical System - Baltimore Sun, 10/13/20 States Expect Medicaid Enrollment and Spending to Increase by Over 8 Percent Each in FY 2021 - Kaiser Family Foundation, 10/14/20

Resources

Keeping Youth Out of the Deep End of the Juvenile Justice System: A Developmental Evaluation of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Deep-End Reform, September 3, 2020 - Several communities across the U.S. have undertaken deep-end reform designed to safely and significantly reduce juvenile out-of-home placement, especially for youth of color. From 2013 through 2018, the Foundation funded a developmental evaluation of this reform to better understand what worked well, what could be improved, and lessons for the field. The evaluation team documented its findings in this summary report, four briefs (one on improving data capacity), a journal article, and technical appendices documenting sites’ deep-end reform activities and describing the evaluation’s methods.  Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Releases Guidance on Emergency Preparedness Testing Exercise Requirements During COVID-19, September 28, 2020 - This report from CMS provides a guidance on emergency preparedness testing exercises. In order to validate a facility’s emergency program, CMS requires that certain emergency preparedness exercises be performed regularly. This report lays out the specific guidelines required to meet this requirement, as well as specific scenarios that have made it harder to conduct emergency preparedness testing due to COVID. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Releases Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment Trends, September 30, 2020 - This report from CMS shows the impacts that COVID-19 is having by tracking CHIP and Medicaid enrollment for adults and children over a 12-month period. This report shows a sharp increase in the overall enrollment that will need to be continually monitored in the coming months. From the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) - The 2020 State CIO Survey, October 13, 2020 - In this eleventh annual state CIO survey, NASCIO received the perspective of 47 state and territory CIOs on the extraordinary and unprecedented challenges they faced this year. In addition to directly addressing the issues and lessons learned by CIOs in responding to the pandemic, they also received updates from CIOs on many of the tradi­tional topics covered by the survey, including CIO organization business models, digital government, adoption of cloud and emerging technologies, and state and local collaboration.

Events

Friday, October 16, 1:15 PM EDT Webinar - Conducting Rapid Analyses for Data-Based Decisionmaking During the COVID-19 Crisis, Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center, ACF Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. Wednesday, October 21, 2:00-3:30 PM EDT Webinar - Govern with Confidence: Tools for High-Stakes Decision Making During COVID-19, Mathematica, Route Fifty. Thursday, October 22, 3:00-4:15 PM EDT APHSA Webinar - “If I Knew Then What I Know Now…” COVID-19 Lessons Learned and Planning for the Future, Maximus. November 9-11, 2020 National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) 2020 Virtual Conference: Together Towards the Future, NAMD.

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