The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities notes that the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan each offer policy opportunities to support incarcerated people’s re-entry into communities. Given the substantial evidence that re-entry is complicated by insufficient supports, legal barriers, and discrimination, these policies offer a chance to improve those support systems and reduce… Read more »
Category: Workforce
Vermont continues efforts to lure movers and support the unemployed
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
To support workforce development, Vermont Governor Phil Scott has extended 2018 legislation offering financial incentives for workers to move to Vermont; also included in the legislation was an increase to state unemployment benefits. The efforts are funded by an increase to unemployment insurance tax on businesses expected to bring $100 million in revenue over the… Read more »
Pandemic-related stress felt by moms can trickle down to their kids
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
Data from the Rapid Assessment of Pandemic Impact on Development – Early Childhood revealed that widespread job loss and increased emotional strain has impacted mothers and young children. On top of job loss, mothers have experienced higher levels of anxiety, depression, stress, and loneliness that has influenced their children’s levels of emotional distress, leading to… Read more »
How COVID Relief Funds Can Support Head Start Parents
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
A Spotlight Exclusive suggests the time is right for Head Start to focus on parents’ economic mobility with “equal intensity” as it directs toward its child development goals. The authors suggest that specialized staff training can increase staff comfort with setting goals relevant to parent mobility, instead of just child development. Pointing to evidence-based workforce… Read more »
How 2 efforts that emerged during the pandemic are changing with the times
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
The Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison analyzed the impact of two young-adult work and education programs during the pandemic. Intern From Home, a student-developed program that links peers to virtual internship opportunities ensures students who would otherwise be unable to access or accept summer internships are connected to virtual… Read more »
Harvard experts make the case that racism inhibits child development
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
In a new research brief, Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child unpacks the ways that addressing racism can open new opportunities for child wellbeing and success. The brief notes the established link between racism and worse child and family outcomes, pointing specifically to the known pathways connecting toxic stress, trauma, and recurring adversity to later… Read more »
PROMISE projects found to have positive impact on receipt of transition services among youth with autism spectrum disorder
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
Mathematica conducted a national evaluation of the PROMISE—Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (SSI)—initiative, which consisted of government-supported projects aimed to support youth with disabilities receiving SSI and to facilitate transitions to adulthood. While authors found that there were some transition and family support services available for youth with ASD in the status… Read more »
Workers Not Receiving Mental Health Support During COVID
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
Homebound workers and those out serving the public have struggled to keep their emotional equilibrium during a traumatic year of mass disease and death. Long work hours, tiring videoconference calls and tense mask wars have added to the stress. Their mental health is a growing issue for employers — who have not historically been of… Read more »
Fed summarizes research linking income and wage increases with better long-term child and family outcomes
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
To identify links between income increases and long-term family outcomes, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston reviewed a set of quasi-experimental efforts (“natural experiments”) that increased wages and income for low-income people. The review finds that policy interventions that increase income— whether through a higher minimum wage or enhanced transfer payments—have a causal relationship with… Read more »
U.S. youths avoid school in favor of work during economic downturns
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
A new article published in Sociology of Education tests two long-running hypotheses about young adults’ decisions to work or enroll in school when facing economic downturns. The “discouraged worker” hypothesis suggests that young adults will enroll in school during downturns to avoid a poor job market, while the “encouraged worker” hypothesis suggests that youths will… Read more »