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

Baby Feet by gabi_menasheIn today’s rundown: Infant care in D.C. costs more than public college tuition. | A look at homeless services in the District after money earmarked for needy families was spent on a teen summer employment program. | Elena Kagan is sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice. | And, for the first time, a woman will head a major US intelligence agency.

— The annual cost of infant care in D.C. is about $11,500, according to a new report out this week.  That’s more than twice the cost of tuition at a public college.  Click here to find out what one organization says the city can do to help struggling parents.

The Washington Post takes a look at what Craigslist says they’re doing to keep ads for underage girls out of the website’s “adult services” section, and what’s actually going on in that section.  Last week FAIR Fund, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner, called Craigslist  the “Wal-mart of online sex trafficking.”

Washington City Paper takes a look at homeless services in the District after money for needy families was spent to make up for a shortfall in a summer employment program.  And DC Fiscal Policy Institute, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner, has a list of lessons that city leaders can take away from the Summer Youth Employment Program.

— Over the weekend, Elena Kagan was sworn in as the 112th justice of the Supreme Court. She’s the fourth woman to be named justice in the history of the high court.

— The first woman to head a major U.S. intelligence agency is being instated today.  Letitia A. Long will be the director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.  Click here for details.

Photo Credit: gabi_menashe via Creative Commons.

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

In today’s rundown: Parents struggle to find child care for their children as subsidies fail to keep up with demand.  |  Prince George’s County teens get access to safe summer programs.  |  An ad campaign reminds local fathers to “take time to be a dad.”

— Federal subsidies for child care are failing to keep up with rising demand, leaving an increasing number of low-income families struggling to balance work and parenting.  Click here to read how this is effecting parents, particularly low-income, single women.

— Later today, teenagers in Prince George’s County will attend Youth Explosion, a program that promotes safe activities and helps teens find summer jobs.  The program is for kids between 12 and 18 and is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Tabernacle Church in Laurel.

— Some local dads say they’re paying attention to parenting messages on bus shelter posters.  The posters say “Take time to be a dad today” and offer suggestions for activities parents and children can do together.  According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, one-third of kids in American grow up in a home without their biological fathers.  Click here to find out why some fathers say the ads are working.

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

Photo Credit: Editor B via Creative Commons

In today’s rundown: Solutions for the high cost of child care.  |  Promising new legislation that will invest in community colleges.  |  The impact of women’s philanthropy.

— For some local parents, the cost of quality child care can account for up to 60 percent of their annual incomes.  While subsidies do exist to help offset the costs, they’re often not enough.  Hyesook Chung, executive director of D.C. Action for Children talks about options.  Click here to listen to what she has to say.

— President Obama spoke to students at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria where Jill Biden teaches English.  The president was there to discuss new legislation that will revamp the federal student loan program and invest billions of dollars into community colleges around the country.  Click here for details.

— The Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner Borromeo Housing Inc. is featured in this video story about women’s philanthropy and its impact worldwide.  Borromeo Housing operates Elizabeth House, the program featured in the piece.  Elizabeth House is an education-first residential program for homeless adolescent mothers.

Got something to say?  Leave a comment below.  Or join us at www.Facebook.com/TheWomensFoundation.

Photo credit: Editor B via Creative Commons

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

Hopkins CheckIn today’s rundown: A Grantee Partner receives a huge check as part of a workforce development project in Virginia | Maryland’s child support guidelines may be overhauled for the first time in two decades | “Are We There Yet?” — a look a gender discrimination at work

Hopkins House — a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner — was recently awarded a giant check — both in size and amount.  The $250,000 check was presented by Rep. Jim Moran.  The money will fund Hopkins House’s Early Childhood Learning Institute, which will help 100 low-income adults earn a Child Development Associate credential and 31 credits toward a college degree.  Click here for more details.

— An overhaul of child support guidelines is on the jam-packed agenda of Maryland lawmakers, who have three weeks to wrap up the current legislative session.  If the bill is passed, it would be the first major change to the child support guidelines since 1989.  It would change the schedule used by courts to determine child support obligations and would be updated to reflect the realities of the current economy.  Many noncustodial parents would end up paying more.  Click here to read the details of the legislation.

— Three young, women journalists at Newsweek are taking a look at sexism in the workplace, comparing their experiences to those of a group of women who sued the magazine for gender discrimination in 1970.  Click here to find out what’s changed and what hasn’t.

Photo credit: Local Kicks

Stepping Stones Research Update – September 2009

We’ve partnered with The Urban Institute to provide continuing information and resources related to the goals of Stepping Stones. Below you’ll find a summary of the latest research on issues of economic security and financial independence for women and their families. This research is summarized and compiled for The Women’s Foundation by Liza Getsinger of The Urban Institute, NeighborhoodInfo DC.

The following are excerpts of the research update.  For the full update, including summarized key findings, click here.

Financial Education and Wealth Creation News
The median household income in the District of Columbia rose from $56,400 in 2007 to $57,900 in 2008, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey; however, DC residents with the lowest levels of education saw their incomes fall significantly from 2007 to 2008. (Full text)

Jobs and Business Ownership News
One fifth of all families with children are headed by working single mothers. The families of single mothers have a high poverty rate – 28.3 percent. The persistent gender wage gap continues: in 2007, women who worked full-time, year-round earned only 78 cents for every dollar earned by full-time, year-round male workers. These findings suggest that a number of changes in policy and practice are needed to improve women’s earnings. You can read the details about these findings by clicking here.

Child Care and Early Education News
A new Child Trends research brief explores the issues that judges consider when making decisions about termination of parental rights (TPR) and adoption of foster children. Several judges reported that the absence of TPR limits the adoption recruitment efforts of the child welfare agency. Some judges report a need for more discussions with older children to explore and address their concerns about adoption. (Full text)

Health and Safety News
Today, there are about 1.1 million people with HIV/AIDS living in the U.S., including nearly 280,000 women. Women of color, particularly black women, are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. The impact of HIV on younger women is particularly notable – more than 6 in 10 new HIV infections among women were among those ages 13-39 in 2006. 76% of women with HIV/AIDS who were receiving medical care had children under 18 in their homes, which may complicate their ability to manage their illness. (Full text)

Other News and Research
The Urban Institute surveyed District permanent supportive housing (PSH) agencies and specific PSH projects. The research includes a look at how the District might move forward toward fulfilling its commitment to create 2,500 new units of PSH and eliminate chronic homelessness. (Full text)

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending September 25, 2009)

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with The Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty.

Spotlight is the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.

Here’s this week’s news:

• Andrea Castaneda is one of several mothers participating in a Head Start program that seeks to help impoverished families replace unnecessary trips to the emergency room with home care, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

• Deborah Stiell, a 55-year-old low-income grandmother, has cared for her three grandchildren their entire lives. She tells the Detroit News that, like many grandparents in her situation, she struggles to pay the bills.

• The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that thanks to increased state funding, a clinic run by the University of Tennessee College of Medicine’s obstetrics-gynecology department has been able to reach out to more low-income patients, resulting in a 20 to 35 percent increase in patient visits.

• The Boston Globe celebrates the achievements of Elisabetta Mitrano, who lifted her family from poverty by opening a salon that would allow her children a better upbringing than she had.

To learn more about Spotlight visit www.spotlightonpoverty.org  

To sign up for our weekly updates with the latest news, opinion and research from around the country, click here

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity Team

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending August 14, 2009)

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with The Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty.

Spotlight is the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.”  It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every week.

Here’s this week’s news:

To learn more about Spotlight, visit www.spotlightonpoverty.org.  To sign up for our weekly updates with the latest news, opinion and research from around the country, click here.

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity Team

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Stepping Stones Research Update – July 2009

As part of our ongoing commitment – in partnership with The Urban Institute – to providing information and resources related to the goals of Stepping Stones, please find below a summary of recent research on issues of economic security and financial independence for women and their families. This research is summarized and complied for The Women’s Foundation by Liza Getsinger of The Urban Institute, NeighborhoodInfo DC.

Below are excerpts of the research update.  For the full research update, including summarized key findings, click here.

Financial Education and Wealth Creation News

The National Council of Negro Women conducts a study to identify potential lending disparities in gender and race among African-American, Hispanic, and Caucasian borrowers, particularly as the foreclosure crisis spreads.  (Full text

Jobs and Business Ownership News

The Brookings Institution publishes research on the extent to which the recession has affected urban and suburban communities across the country and looks looks within the nation’s 100 largest metro areas to examine recent unemployment trends in their cities and suburbs. (Abstract) (Full text)

Child Care and Early Education News

A new Child Trends study commissioned by the Council of Chief State School Officers finds disparities between poor, at-risk children and more advantaged children as early as 9 months of age–extending prior research that primarily focuses on disparities at kindergarten entry and beyond. (Abstract) (Full text)

Health and Safety News

The Urban Institute identifies ways to reduce obesity using many of the same strategies used in the war against tobacco.  (Introduction) (Full text)

Other News and Research

The Economic Mobility Project investigates neighborhoods and the black-white mobility gap, including whether neighborhood poverty in childhood impacts the ability of both black and white adults to move up or down the income ladder relative to the position their parents held and whether changes in neighborhood poverty rates experienced by black children affected their adult incomes, earnings, and wealth. (Abstract) (Full text)

Stepping Stones Research Update – June 2009

As part of our ongoing commitment – in partnership with The Urban Institute – to providing information and resources related to the goals of Stepping Stones, please find below a summary of recent research on issues of economic security and financial independence for women and their families. This research is summarized and complied for The Women’s Foundation by Liza Getsinger of The Urban Institute, NeighborhoodInfo DC.  

Financial Education and Wealth Creation News

The Urban Institute provides statistics on the work effort, earnings, health care access and other characteristics of low-income families. (Abstract) (Full Text)

 Jobs and Business Ownership News

The Brookings Institution investigates the accessibility of middle-wage jobs — good paying jobs for the less-educated workers — for those without bachelor’s degrees in 204 metropolitan areas. (Abstract) (Full Text)

Child Care and Early Education

The National Institute for Early Education Research examines the journeys of six states — Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Illinois, New York, and West Virginia — in achieving a plan for preschool for all. (Intro) (Full Text)

Health and Safety News

The Urban Institute explores the unique experiences of women exiting prison, focusing on a representative sample of 142 women who were released from Texas prisons and state jails in 2005 and returned to Houston communities. (Intro) (Full Text)

Other News and Research

The Urban Institute provides comprehensive data indicators and analysis on the state of older youth (age 12-24) in the District and examines  the role of area nonprofits that work with young people, their families, and neighborhoods. (Abstract) (Full Text)

Stepping Stones Research Update – May 2009

As part of our ongoing commitment – in partnership with The Urban Institute – to providing information and resources related to the goals of Stepping Stones, please find below a summary of recent research on issues of economic security and financial independence for women and their families.

This research is summarized and complied for The Women’s Foundation by Liza Getsinger of The Urban Institute, NeighborhoodInfo DC.

Financial Education and Wealth Creation News
The Urban Institute looks at the likelihood that nonelderly individuals in families with children experience substantial drops in family income and recoveries from such drops. (Intro) (Full Text)

Jobs and Business Ownership News
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research looks at wage differences between men and women across several different occupations. (Full Text)

Child Care and Early Education News
ChildTrends shows research findings on the link between program quality and children’s outcomes among state and federal government invested programs in early care and education. (Intro) (Full Text)

Health and Safety News
The Kaiser Family Foundation explores how problems obtaining oral health and dental care disproportionately affect low-income and minority children. (Intro) (Full Text)

Other News and Research
The Urban Institute documents the extent to which foreclosures in Washington D.C. have occurred in renter-occupied homes and apartments, and outlines several policy options for helping renters during this difficult period. (Abstract) (Full Text)