Dear Donna,

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.

May is National Foster Care Month, recognizing the important role that members from all parts of the human services system play in supporting children, youth, and families. This year's theme is "Relative and Kin Connections: Keeping Families Strong," emphasizing the positive impact these relationships have on maintaining family and cultural ties. Find resources from the Children's Bureau here.

We have launched a new microsite in partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers (ASTHO) and Casey Family Programs. Leading with Prevention will serve as a dedicated resource hub for health and human services leaders who are committed to advancing prevention strategies in their work. It will be updated monthly with new featured resources, curated by our policy and research teams, that are particularly useful to state and local systems leaders and their staff.

$175M in TANF Funds to Implement Pilot Program for Needy Tennessee Families - WSMV4, 05/05/22

Distrust Keeps Families on SNAP From Buying Groceries Online - Route Fifty, 04/28/22

Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center -  Through the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, Generations United will increase the capacity and effectiveness of states, territories, tribes/tribal organizations, nonprofits, and other community-based organizations to serve and support grandfamilies and kinship families.

What If Mom Went Back to School? May2022 - This Urban Institute research report explores outcomes for female student-parents and their children in the two decades after mothers reenrolled in school overall and among mothers who completed a college degree. The report supports that completing either a two- or four-year degree resulted in stronger positive intergenerational impacts than simply reenrolling in college.

Quality in Home-Based Child Care: Summary of Existing Measures and Indicators, May 2022 - This report from the Office of Planning and Research Evaluation (OPRE) explores reliable and valid measures to assess the quality of home-based childcare (HBCC). Also, this report assesses the gaps in quality measurement for HBCC, uncovers the strengths and limitations of existing measures, and includes resources and tools to enhance quality improvement efforts in HBCC settings.

Motivational Interviewing: A Guide to Family First Implementation, March 2022 - Public Consulting Group’s guide is designed to assist state and local Title IV-E agencies with implementing motivational interviewing as a well-supported evidence-based programs (EBP) in their Title IV-E Prevention Plans. This guide provides resources for planning and readiness, implementation and change management, claiming, and continuous quality improvement.

Diverse SOGIE Training Series: SOGIE 10 - This training introduces participants to a social identity framework focused on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE) - Social Current. 

Monday, May 23, 1:00-4:00 PM EDT

States and Cities are Moving to Make Virtual Hearings Permanent - Route Fifty, 04/28/22

988 Hotline for Mental Health Emergencies Will Launch Nationwide on July 16. Will States be Ready?- Route Fifty, 05/10/22

COVID-19 Data and Measures for Decision-Making - A new guide from the Societal Experts Action Network highlights and explains data and measures that decision-makers can use to understand the spread of COVID-19 in their communities and to inform policy decisions. 

Government Transformation in Tumultuous Times:5 Strategies to Emerge Stronger and More Resilient, April 13, 2022 - This report from the Gov 2025 Jam leveraged IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding and other text-based analytics to draw out and understand the common threads among the myriad conversations that took place during the Jam as to what it will take to protect, support, and empower citizens in an uncertain future. 

Understanding the Intersection Between Climate Change, Housing, and Public Health - The Network for Public Health Law.

May 18, 2:00 PM EDT

RECS 2022 Virtual Conference Registration Open - The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE).

June 1-3, 1:00-5:00 PM EDT

SIREN 2022 National Research Meeting: Racial Health Equity in Social Care - Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network (SIREN).

Thursday, September 15, 12:00-3:00 PM EDT

Tuesday, September 27, 12:00-3:00 PM EDT

Wednesday, October 12, 12:00-3:00 PM EDT