Author: Mariah Craven

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: Asking local governments to keep social services in their budgets.  |  Local students try to solve the poverty problem.  |  More older women are returning to school.

— “Think twice before you slice” — that’s the message from nonprofits to local governments that are making important budget decisions.  Chuck Bean from the Nonprofit Roundtable and Glen O’Gilvie from the Center for Nonprofit Advancement air their concerns on WAMU in this commentary.

— Elementary school students in one of Washington, D.C.’s poorest neighborhoods are discussing solutions to poverty as part of a program called the Poverty Project.  Click here to find out what they’ve come up with so far.

— The number of older, African American women returning to school is on the rise.  In this column, Courtland Milloy speaks with some women who are getting advanced degrees and finds out why they went back to school.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: A post-Mother’s Day wish for better education, training and jobs.  |  A new report on how working moms are handling the recession.  |  A look at who benefits most from pre-K.  |  Affordable housing renovations in the District.

— With the economy continuing to take a toll on low-income, women-headed families in particular, The Women’s Foundation’s Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat outlines the ways we can remove barriers to education, training and jobs for those who need it most in this WAMU commentary.

— How are working mothers handling the recession?  This report takes an updated look at the employment situations of working women with children under the age of 18. Among the findings: one in three working mothers was the only job holder in her family and single mothers struggled with high unemployment.  The report includes unpublished data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

— A new study in Montgomery County found that boys and African Americans of both genders benefit more from full-day pre-kindergarten.  According to this Washington Post article, Maryland schools are among the most generous in the nation when it comes to spending on early childhood.

— Starting next week, renovations will begin on the District’s oldest garden-style apartment complex.  Webster Gardens will be renovated into affordable housing using federal money earmarked to help local agencies fund projects stalled during the recession.  Click here for details.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: More than 100 D.C. child welfare workers have been laid off.  |  A controversial stance on female circumcision in the United States.  |  Do women make better doctors?

— More than 100 D.C. child welfare workers have been laid off from their positions at the Child and Family Services Agency.  The cuts were announced at a meeting yesterday.  Click here for more.

— The American Academy of Pediatrics is taking a controversial stance on circumcision rituals performed on girls.  The Academy has suggested that American doctors be given permission to perform a ceremonial “nick” on girls whose families want a circumcision ritual.  The Academy hopes the move will prevent families from sending the girls to other countries for a full circumcision.  Opponents of the idea say there’s no medical reason to perform the procedure and the current ban should be left in place.  Click here for more.

— The New York Times explores which gender makes a better doctor.  Turns out — it depends on the patient.  Click here to find out why.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

SaveOurSafetyNet RallyIn today’s rundown: D.C. Council members wear red capes and support progressive changes to the budget.  |  D.C.’s streetcars could be free in some parts of the city.  |  Local home prices could continue to decline through next year.

— At a rally at city hall yesterday, members of the D.C. Council put on red capes and joined Save Our Safety Net and the Fair Budget Coalition to declare their support for proposed progressive solutions to the District’s budget issues.  Click here to read more about the council members who participated and to learn about the budget proposals.

— The streetcars coming to the District in the next two years may be free for riders in some parts of town.  The D.C. Department of Transportation says riders may be able to hop on and off the trolleys for free in some areas of the city.  The city has already started laying the tracks for the street cars in Anacostia and on H Street in Northeast D.C.  Click here for more.

— Despite a recent increase in home sales and prices, the Washington metropolitan area is still at risk for drops in home prices through the end of 2011, according to a new report from a mortgage insurance company.  Click here for details.

Photo credit: Save Our Safety Net

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: The problem often associated with developing countries that has become a homegrown issue.  |  Why the federal government should make more efforts to improve flex time for employees.

— ABC News highlights the fact that child sex trafficking is a growing concern in the United States.  Two Women’s Foundation Grantee Partners — The Rebecca Project for Human Rights and Fair Fund — are featured in the piece which tells the stories of two girls who were forced into prostitution.  Click here for more.

— Washington Post columnist Joe Davidson says the federal government is falling short in efforts to help federal employees “develop a good balance between work and personal lives.”  Davidson specifically referenced a congressional hearing on the need for better flexible work arrangements for government employees.  Click here to read the entire column.

Reasons to Participate in Wednesday's Women's Economic Security Campaign (WESC) Webinar

Posted on by Mariah Craven

This morning Avis Thomas-Lester posted a blog entry about a WESC webinar being held tomorrow that will discuss efforts to help women improve their job skills, education and to ask Congress to consider policies that help low-income women improve their financial standing.

Thomas-Lester writes:

I spent some time yesterday on the telephone with an entrepreneur friend of mine who is now looking for a job because her Spanish translation/interpretation/teaching business has been tanked by the recession. She’s one of several friends who have seen their once-thriving businesses suffer because people don’t have money for such luxuries as Spanish lessons these days.

My friend can depend on her husband to sustain her through the tough times, but many other women are finding paying the rent, utilities and groceries more difficult. The Women’s Economic Security Campaign is set to hold a webinar Wednesday to release information on efforts to help low-income women recover from the economic crisis….

Click here to read the full post. And for more information on registration for the webinar, please click here.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Foreclosure SignIn today’s rundown: The foreclosure rate in Maryland is on the way down.  |  The need to prepare local workers for better jobs.  |  How to participate in the District’s new bank account program.

— Although Maryland has been experiencing a second wave of foreclosures the situation appears to be improving, according to the state Department of Housing and Community Development.  Both Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties saw about a 25 percent decrease in the number of foreclosures between the end of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010.  Click here for details.

— Kwame Brown, a Democratic at-large member of the D.C. Council, writes in the Washington Post about the need to better prepare local residents for future job opportunities in the region.  Brown says all workers must be provided “with an opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency.”  Click here to read more.

— The District has kicked off its Bank on DC program, which encourages residents to open bank or credit union accounts instead of using check cashing services.  The goal of the program is to open 10,000 new accounts by the end of the year.  Click here for more on how the program works and who can participate.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

DC Flag— Later this month the D.C. Council will finalize the budget for the 2011 fiscal year.  The version of the budget that’s on the table now includes serious cuts to many services like the Earned Income Tax Credit, child care, job training, police and public works.  Many of these services will be essential in helping local residents recover from the impact of the recession.  To join other individuals and organizations in asking the council for a balanced approach to the city budget go to www.FairBudget.org.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

homelessIn today’s rundown: The number of homeless in the region has declined.  |  CASA de Maryland plans acts of civil disobedience to protest the new immigration law in Arizona.  |  Foster parents are desperately needed in our region.

— It appears that the National Capital Region’s homeless population has declined in the past year.  Preliminary results of a recent survey by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments show that the area’s homeless population decreased by 1.7 percent between 2009 and 2010.  During that time, however, the District saw a 5 percent increase.  This year, the survey counted 11,774 homeless people.  Click here for more details.

— CASA de Maryland, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner, is planning a demonstration outside the White House this weekend to protest the new Arizona anti-illegal immigration law.  Many worry that the law will lead to racial profiling.  Organizers say they will engage in acts of civil disobedience on Saturday.  Click here to read more.

— Child welfare agencies in our region are struggling to find foster homes for teens and children with complicated medical needs and siblings.  They’re urging people to consider serving as foster parents.  There are about 4,500 children in our area who are in foster care.  Click here for more.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: A new program in D.C. will open 10,000 new bank accounts.  |  President Obama eulogizes Dorothy Height.  |  What the homeless will gain under the new health care reform law.

— A new program in D.C. will help 10,000 residents open new bank accounts.  About 12 percent of D.C. households do not have bank accounts.  Many cash their checks at stores or gas stations that charge high interest rates.  According to WAMU, this results in about $800 a year in fees.  Click here to learn more about the program.

— President Barack Obama eulogized civil rights leader Dorothy Height earlier today, saying that she lived a righteous life and changed the country for the better.  Click here to watch his eulogy and other videos from today’s service.

— Under the new health care reform legislation homeless Americans will have increased access to health care due to an expansion to Medicaid and increased spending on community health centers.  Click here to read more about how health care reform will impact the homeless.