 Human Services Sessions Overview
Presentations and Handouts
NCSL Annual Meeting
Boston, Massachusetts
August 6-10, 2007
Economic Returns: The Impact of Early Education on the U.S. Economy Today and Tomorrow
The session showcased business leadership in promoting early learning, highlighted new research showing the economic returns of pre-kindergarten to state government and contributions to state and national job growth. Click on links below to view video of session and speaker presentation slides. This session was made possible through a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Moderator: Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Texas, out-going NCSL President
Speakers:
- James Rohr, Chairman and CEO, The PNC Financial Services Group, Pennsylvania
- Sara Watson, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, D.C.
The National Movement for Pre-K:  Download PDF Version
- Dennis Winters, Chief, Office of Economic Advisors, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Economic Returns to Early Education: Download PDF Version
- Video (there will be 10 seconds of blank video at the beginning)
Accountability in Early Childhood Education: Approaches and Recommendations for States
State legislators are seeking evidence that early childhood programs are effective and are helping children learn. Leaders of the National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force shared forthcoming recommendations around assessing young children and the programs serving them, and highlighted successful state early childhood evaluation and accountability efforts. NCSL will make the report available once it is released this fall.
Speakers:
- Tom Shultz, Project Director, National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force
- Sharon Lynn Kagan, Associate Dean for Policy and Research at Teachers College, Columbia University Download PDF Version
- Representative Denise Merrill, Connecticut
Using Neuroscience and Evaluation Research to Inform Early Childhood Policies
This session addressed effective ways to incorporate the science of early childhood and early brain development to inform public policy. This session included discussion of how legislators can use science in legislative decision-making and shared findings from a groundbreaking new report that integrates the science of child development with information on the effectiveness of program approaches.
Moderator: Steffanie Clothier, NCSL
Speakers:
- Representative Ruth Kagi, Washington
- Representative Pete Hershberger, Arizona
- Jack P. Shonkoff, Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Download PDF Version
- Gillian Najarian, Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Adventures in Federalism: Carving State Flexibility Out of Restrictive Federal TANF Rules
Federal changes in the Deficit Reduction Act restrict state TANF flexibility. Despite the exclusive federal focus on work participation rates, many states have adopted approaches that also focus on broader state goals such moving parents into jobs, off welfare and towards self-sufficiency. By adopting strategies that move parents out of the work participation rate if they are disabled and during initial assessments and continue providing assistance to parents during their transitions from welfare to work, states can improve parents’ employment outcomes and meet the federal requirements.
Presiding: Carol Shaw, North Carolina
Moderator: Jack Tweedie, NCSL
Speakers:
Representative Mark Larson, Vermont Download PDF Version
Carol Holland, Washington Office of Financial Management Download PDF Version
Estelle Richman, Pennsylvania Secretary of Public Health and Welfare Download PDF Version
Raising Our Sights: Looking Beyond Welfare to Move Families Out of Poverty
Responding to research that shows the negative effect on poverty for child outcomes such as educational achievement, employment, health and teen pregnancy, policymakers across the political spectrum have focused on strategies to reduce the effects of child poverty. This session will highlight conservative and liberal approaches to child and family poverty, emphasizing both their common ground and their different approaches to helping families move out of poverty and improving outcomes for children who grow up in poverty.
Presiding: Delegate Sandy Rosenberg, Maryland
Speakers:
Ron Haskins, The Brookings Institute Download PDF Version
Mark Greenberg, Center for American Progress Download PDF Version
Policy Forum: Creating Opportunity: Reducing Child and Family Poverty
Millions of children live in poverty. New research highlights how child poverty limits school achievement and work opportunities and increases crime. Poverty also creates a drag on economic productivity and increases health care costs. States and cities as wide-ranging as New York City, Connecticut and Arkansas, are developing broad-based strategies to address child poverty--increasing work supports, making tax changes to increase family income, developing work-focused education to help parents get better jobs, increasing youth engagement in school and work, and increasing access to home visiting, quality child care and pre-kindergarten for young children.
Presiding: David Abbey, New Mexico
Moderator: Jack Tweedie, NCSL Download PDF Version
Speakers:
Adren Wilson, Louisiana Department of Social Services
Senator Tracy Steele, Arkansas
Representative Mary Mushinsky, Connecticut Download PDF Version
Children of Incarcerated Parents
Several million children have parents in prison. Several states have developed programs to help those children including efforts to help maintain the connection with parents during incarceration and to prepare parents for when they leave prison. Research has shown that efforts to rebuild the family relations where appropriate improve employment opportunities, improve the chances that the parent can support his or her children and avoid a return to prison.
Presiding: Anne Sappenfield, Wisconsin
Speakers:
Benjamin de Haan, Casey Family Programs Download PDF Version
Representative Mary Helen Roberts, Washington
Bridgett Ortega, JD, Consultant, California Download PDF Version
Human Services & Welfare Committee Federal Update
NCSL provides an update on human service and immigration discussions in Washington, D.C. and tell us what the federal officials are going to do to us next.
Presiding:
Delegate Sandy Rosenberg, Maryland
Carol Shaw, North Carolina
Speakers:
Sheri Steisel, NCSL, DC Office Download PDF Version
Lee Posey, NCSL, DC Office Download PDF Version
Serving and Protectiong Children of Immigrants
The U.S. immigrant population is growing and so does the number of immigrant children, 80% of which are U.S. citizens. This session will examine the response of child welfare agencies in dealing with immigration practices, policies, and laws. The session will discuss the lack of reliable data on immigrant children and families in child welfare and the challenge of providing culturally relevant services. How will we facilitate the integration of services to immigrant families into the overall service delivery system? What are barriers? And, what are the metrics of successful practice?
Presiding: Representative Martha Alexander, North Carolina
Speakers:
Dirk Hegen, NCSL, DC Office Download PDF Version
Sonia Velazquez, American Humane, Colorado
Ken Borelli, Annie E. Casey Foundation, California
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