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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.
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Our new report, Recommendations to Strengthen the Impact of SNAP-Ed on Food and Nutrition Security: Perspectives from State SNAP-Ed Agency Leaders, shares policy recommendations for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and Congress to support state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) teams in building more equitable and effective SNAP-Ed programs. | |
We are happy to have provided insight for the new research report from Urban Institute, What are human services, and how do state governments structure them? The report describes the human services landscape within state governments and uses case studies to show the range of approaches state governments take in structuring their human services systems. | |
This February will mark five years since the passage of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). We're partnering with Prevent Child Abuse America to host a series of webinars from February through November, centering on FFPSA and how the field has been advancing the use of prevention services to narrow the door to child welfare. Learn more and register now! | |
The latest episode in our podcast series Disrupt the Dialogue features Natalie Williams, APHSA’s Chief Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Officer. This podcast features BIPOC leaders in human services sharing their personal experiences and insights, and you can catch every episode on your favorite streaming platform or listen on our podcast page. Also, stay tuned for new episodes of the podcast series Our Dream Deferred, coming soon! | |
Check out our latest Catalyst blog posts! Natalie Evans Harris shares how the collection and use of data is vital to advancing racial wealth equity, and introduces the launch of the Black Wealth Data Center with its searchable racial wealth equity database. For the National Day of Racial Healing, Natalie Williams of APHSA shares how belonging is the antidote to limited inclusion and centers individuals as their full selves. | |
Employment and Economic Well-Being | |
The WIC Community Innovation and Outreach (CIAO) Project Team is making up to $10 million in funding available, through a WIC CIAO Subgrant Request for Application (RFA). The purpose of the RFA is to assist WIC State and local agencies, including Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs), and nonprofit entities and organizations to develop, implement,and evaluate innovative outreach strategies to increase WIC awareness, participation, benefit redemption, and reduce disparities in program delivery. The deadline for applications is March 23. | |
Improving Outcomes for Families Through Better Use of Data: The TANF Data Collaborative, January 2023 - This 9-minute video from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) shares some insights from the TANF Data Collaborative, a pilot established to increase the use of TANF and employment data by agency staff. This clip discusses the experiences of California, Colorado, Minnesota, and Virginia TANF agencies regarding their respective journeys in building a culture of evidence. | |
Child and Family Well-Being | |
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ACF Releases Resources to Strengthen the Child Welfare Response to Human Trafficking, January 2023 - The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has released new resources to help state agencies and community providers strengthen the child welfare response to human trafficking. The resources will equip a diverse range of human service professionals, with tools to effectively prevent and respond to youth at risk for, currently experiencing, or who have experienced human trafficking. The focus is on youth connected to the child welfare system, including those who have run away or are missing from care.
Half of the 250 Kids Expelled from Preschool Each Day are Black Boys, January 2023 – This article from Scientific American explores the issues of systemic racism and implicit bias in preschool, including highlights of major publications as well as evidence-based interventions that support teachers in reducing expulsion rates overall.
Using Maps to Inform Decisions about Child Care and Early Education (CCEE), January 2023 – This Office of Planning, Research, & Evaluation (OPRE) resource describes how leaders can use maps to make decisions about CCEE access and offers technical considerations for developing maps to support CCEE access.
Revisiting Integrated Efficient Early Care and Education Systems, January 2023 – This is an updated report from the Bipartisan Policy Center. It examines how states manage federal early childhood programs and offers policy recommendations to improve coordination for Governors, Congress, and Federal Agencies.
2023 Head Start Fact Sheets by State, January, 2023 - Fact sheets from the National Head Start Association (NHSA) have been created to help inform legislators about the power of Head Start. Each profile outlines Head Start’s impact within the state, including information on funding, families served, long-term benefits, and more.
Pre-K Data on Children, Families, and Workforce Members from Focal Populations Can Help Decision Makers Create More Equitable Systems, December 2022 – This resource provides insight from a deep dive into the pre-kindergarten experiences and outcomes of six focal populations. It further explores the circumstances of the many children, families and workforce members that have multiple identities and lived experiences.
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Health & Human Services Integration | |
GAO Report: COVID-19: HHS Funds Allocated to Support Disproportionately Affected Communities, January 2023 - The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review how HHS allocated pandemic relief funds to support communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. This report describes (1) how much four HHS agencies allocated to support communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19; and (2) how a sample of states allocated selected funding from CDC to support disproportionately affected communities. | |
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What Do We Know About How Organizations Can Support Evidence Use? January 2023 - Research about when, why, and how evidence is used identifies the importance of social interactions and organizational norms that support evidence use, as highlighted in this blog post from the Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (OPRE).
Data Coordination at SNAP and Medicaid Agencies: A National Landscape Analysis, January 2023 - Benefits Data Trust (BDT) and the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) collaborated on a nationwide analysis of how states coordinate across Medicaid and SNAP programs to streamline access to benefits. Data sharing and coordination by the agencies administering these benefits are key to addressing barriers.
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