This report provides a broad overview of key findings from the United States Sentencing Commission’s study of recidivism of federal offenders. The Commission studied offenders who were either released from federal prison after serving a sentence of imprisonment or placed on a term of probation in 2005. Nearly half (49.3%) of such offenders were rearrested within eight years for either a new crime or for some other violation of the condition of their probation or release conditions. This report discusses the Commission’s recidivism research project and provides many additional findings from…
In this second edition of the annual State of Grandfamilies in America report, Generations United identified key State laws and policies specifically designed to address barriers and better support the diverse and unique population of grandparents and other relatives raising children. All 50 States and the District of Columbia were evaluated based on the availability of these laws and policies. To identify States with the most promising laws and policies to support grandfamilies, Generations United used the following criteria: percentage of children in foster care who are placed with…
This impact report from the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project presents findings from four tests of behavioral interventions intended to increase the percentage of parents who made child support payments and the dollar amount of collections per parent in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. These findings demonstrate that low-cost, low-effort behavioral interventions can improve child support outcomes. However, interventions that are more intensive may be necessary to increase overall child support collection amounts, perhaps because some parents have a limited ability to…
This impact report from the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project presents findings from four tests of behavioral interventions intended to increase the percentage of parents who made child support payments and the dollar amount of collections per parent in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. These findings demonstrate that low-cost, low-effort behavioral interventions can improve child support outcomes. However, interventions that are more intensive may be necessary to increase overall child support collection amounts, perhaps because some parents have a limited ability to…
This report provides a statistical portrait of progress in the reduction of poverty and economic hardship over the past five decades in the United States. The poverty measures presented in this volume show that the federal safety net has advanced the economic circumstances of low- income children and families since 1964. Three key metrics assess whether families were able to secure resources to meet their basic human needs and avoid severe material deprivation: the official poverty measure developed by Mollie Orshansky in 1963-1964 and designated as the federal government’s official…
This report presents the recommendations of the Working Families Task Force that sought to identify ways to strengthen the protections in place for Chicago’s workers. The task force examined three issues: paid sick leave, schedule predictability for shift workers, and paid family and medical leave. After 6 months of research, community engagement, and deliberation, the task force is proposing a framework for expanding access to sick leave and family and medical leave while recommending further research and discussion on schedule predictability before any legislative action is taken. The…
This framework outlines the roles of various types of research and evaluation in generating information and answering empirical questions related to the human services provided by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Within the framework, you will find descriptions of each type of research and evaluation, including the purpose, the policy and/or practical significance justifications, the empirical and theoretical justifications, and the expectations for study design and expected outcomes. The framework aims to: 1) Help organize and guide ACF’s decisions about investments in…
Two years have passed since the President signed a Presidential Memorandum in 2014 establishing the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Task Force (the Task Force), a coordinated Federal effort to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.In response to the President’s call to action, nearly 250 communities in all 50 states have accepted the President’s My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge; more than $600 million in private sector and philanthropic grants and in-kind resources and $1 billion in low-…
This report explores the impact of parental incarceration on children, families, and communities and recommends policies and practices that put the needs of children of incarcerated parents first. It emphasizes the need for on correctional systems, communities, and state and local public agencies to help stabilize families and preserve their connections during incarceration and successfully move forward once parents come home. Characteristics of incarcerated parents and their children are described, as well as the following impacts of incarceration: an added financial burden, a blow to child…
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Training Materials A curriculum is presented that is designed to assist child welfare professionals in Pennsylvania in their efforts to engage incarcerated parents. Materials are included that address: the effects of incarceration, reasons to engage the parent and advocate for visitation, the rights of children of incarcerated parents, barriers to engagement, strategies for working collaboratively to overcome barriers, ideas for parenting from a distance, strategies for supporting children of incarcerated parents, and programs and services frequently available in corrections facilities.
