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.

Check our new job opportunities for a Chief Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer (CEDIO) as well as as our opening for a Human Resources Director. The positions are located in Arlington, VA but are currently 100% virtual.

We have added a new webpage dedicated to advancing productive narratives that help us find common ground and advance solutions across health and human services. We will continue to add to our library of resources and examples over time and look forward to possibly sharing your own exemplary work!

Our latest blog post is Poverty and Neglect Are Not the Same - It’s Time to Realign Our Response, authored by Jody-Levison Johnson, President and CEO of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and Council on Accreditation. This is the latest in our new Catalyst blog series taking a detailed look at the American Rescue Plan and the ways in which we can leverage it to strengthen the resiliency of our public health and human services infrastructure.

New Opportunity! OFA Learning Community - The Learning Community theme is “Reimagining TANF Programs to Support Family Economic Independence and Mobility in a Post-Pandemic World.” Only state, local and tribal TANF agencies are eligible and encouraged to self-nominate. Nominations are due by June 23, 2021 at 6:00 PM EDT. A package has been sent to Regional Program Managers for distribution to local and county agencies. If you have any questions, please email: [email protected].

What Happened to the $45 Billion in Rent Relief? - Vox, 05/24/21

All In: Student Pathways Forward Podcast - As part of Oregon's SkillSPAN efforts with National Skills Coalition and Pathways to Opportunity, this podcast elevates the voices of students to shape inclusive workforce and higher ed policy, programs, and partnerships.

Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Program - The U.S. Census Bureau Center for Economic Studies developed the LEHD program to provide key data for state and local agencies on employment data. The LEHD program produces new, cost effective, public-use information combining federal, state and Census Bureau data on employers and employees.

States Gearing Up for Fiscal Recovery Funds, May 6, 2021 - This fiscal brief from the National Conference of State Legislatures details how states are preparing for disbursement of the second round of direct federal aid, the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSFRF). State decisions on spending their one-time federal allocations vary, and the CSFRF will afford states additional time and flexibility.

How Much Have Childcare Challenges Slowed the U.S. Jobs Market Recovery?

SSI Youth Solutions Conference: Proposals to Improve Employment for Youth with Disabilities - Mathematica.

The Next Frontier in Evidence-Based Policymaking: The Science of Scaling - The Brookings Institution.

50 Years Later, the Culture Wars Debate Over the Child Care Crisis Has Barely Budged - NBC News, 05/24/21

Revised Child Care Guidance, Now Encourage Masks for 2-5 Year Olds - ABC News WHAM, 05/24/21

Nearly 10 Million Children Could Get Free or Reduced-Cost Child Care Under New Proposed Legislation - CNBC, 05/24/21

A Seat at the Table: Piloting Continuous Learning to Engage Fathers and Parental Relatives in Child Welfare, May 2011 - This report from the Office of Planning and Research Evaluation (OPRE) is part of the Fathers and Continuous Learning in Child Welfare (FCL) project that uses Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC) methodology to improve placement stability and permanency outcomes for children by engaging their fathers and relatives.

Transforming the Youth Justice System: Promoting Equity, Community, and Well-Being for Youth of Color - This new program is offered from the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR), in partnership with the Center for Children’s Law and Policy. Through this Breakthrough Series Collaborative, they are seeking to partner with jurisdictions across the United States who are committed to transforming their youth justice systems in order to better serve youth, families, and communities. You can find all the information at the link above, and a one-pager can be found here.

Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse Reporting Guide for Study Authors, May 2021 - This guide from the Office of Planning and Research Evaluation (OPRE) describes the studies that the Prevention Services Clearinghouse uses to determine eligibility for review, assign design, and evaluate programs and recommended practices. This guide seeks to facilitate the Prevention Services Clearinghouse review process.

Growing the Economy Through Affordable Child Care, May 2021 - This new report from the Center for American Progress details how the COVID-19 child care crisis effected working parents and potential paths forward to restart and grow the economy. 

Stories of Hardship from Families with Young Children as the COVID-19 Pandemic Persists, April 27, 2021 - Although data may show a recovering economy and decreases in unemployment, stories from parents with young children highlight how hardship endures because of instability in work hours, disruptions to child care, and barriers to food access. The Urban Institute interviewed 16 parents who both had a child under age six and reported experiencing food insecurity in the September 2020 Coronavirus Tracking Survey.

Growing Pains: How Benefit Cliffs Can Derail Government Support - Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, 05/12/21

Senate Democrats Introduce Bill to Help State and Cities Modernize IT Systems - Route Fifty, 05/20/21

Matching Data Across Programs Can Increase WIC Enrollment, April 27, 2021 - In partnership with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), Benefits Data Trust (BDT) released this report, which draws on the experience of four state pilots to illustrate how data-driven outreach can improve WIC access and strengthen cross-program enrollment. In the report, they outline key considerations for establishing the data sharing agreements needed for states to get started with their own data-driven outreach initiatives.

Improving Health and Controlling Costs in Medicaid: The 6|18 Initiative, May 19, 2021 - This policy brief from the National Conference of State Legislatures outlines the CDC’s 6|18 Initiative, including the common conditions targeted and evidence-based interventions, and describes opportunities and barriers for states in implementing these proven strategies in their Medicaid programs.

Webinar - Addressing Health Equity During the COVID Pandemic: A Discussion with the State of California - BerryDunn and the CA Department of Public Health.

20th Annual Social Equity Leadership Virtual Conference - National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA).