By Meghan McCann and Alison May
DID YOU KNOW: Studies have found a $1.80 to $5.70 return on investment for every dollar spent on home visiting. Check out NCSL’s latest LegisBrief, Home Visiting: Improving Children’s and Families’ Well-Being , to learn more.
NCSL’s Children and Families program covers many human services issues, including child support and family law, child welfare, early care and education, welfare and poverty.
Upcoming Webinars
Foster Families: A Cornerstone of the Foster Care System
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 | 3 p.m. ET/ 2 p.m. CT/ 1 p.m. MT/ noon PT
With a growing number of children and youth entering the foster care system, many states are experiencing a shortage of foster care families. This NCSL webinar is an opportunity to learn about strategies for recruiting and retaining foster families that are full partners in the child welfare system. The webinar is free; however, registration is required. Register here.
NCSL Resources
Two-Generation Strategies Toolkit
In the United States, 1 in 4 parents live in poverty, and 20 percent of children in the United States live in a household with income below the federal poverty level. A new approach to help families break the cycle of poverty is taking hold in states across the country. Called many things, from two-generation and intergenerational, to multi-generational or whole-family approaches, the idea of addressing the needs of children and parents is the same.
NCSL has launched a new Two-Generation Strategies Toolkit to help state legislators understand the underlying issue these approaches can address, what these programs look like on the ground and the important role of and opportunities for state legislators to engage in these efforts.
Early Care and Education Summer E-update
NCSL’s quarterly Early Care Education E-update is an information service for state legislators and legislative staff who are part of NCSL's Child Care and Early Education Legislative Network. Access the summer edition and read about recent related NCSL products, highlights from NCSL convenings, information related to high-quality prekindergarten and more.
SNAP Work Requirements Fact Sheet
As Congress debates reauthorization of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, commonly referred to as the “farm bill,” some proposals are calling for stricter work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This fact sheet reviews what the federal SNAP program already requires, proposed changes and current SNAP work requirements by state.
Early Learning Fellows Convene in August
Through a competitive application process, NCSL invited 29 legislators and five legislative staff representing 23 states to participate in the seventh cohort of the Early Learning Fellows program. The program includes two face-to-face meetings and two webinars. A successful second, and final, meeting of this year-long program took place this August in Minneapolis. Meeting highlights included a welcome by a local sheriff, presentations on financing, child care, early STEM and more. Access information about the program and meeting, including archived webinars and meeting materials.
Meghan McCann is a senior policy specialist with NCSL’s Children and Families Program. She covers child support, family law and anti-poverty issues.
Email Meghan
Alison May is a research analyst with NCSL’s Children and Families Program. She covers early care, learning and education issues.
Email Alison