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Page révisée le 12 mai 2012
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American
Government | Sites
gouvernementaux de |
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Human Services and Housing Supports to Address Family
Homelessness:
Promising Practices in the Field
ASPE* Research Brief [*Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation]
November 2011
HTML version:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/11/FamilyHomelessness/rb.shtml
PDF version (700K, 20 pages)
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/11/FamilyHomelessness/rb.pdf
About This Research Brief:
This ASPE Research Brief explores local programs for linking human services
and housing supports to prevent and end family homelessness. The Research Brief
is based on interviews with stakeholders in 14 communities nationwide, highlighting
key practices that facilitated the implementation and ongoing sustainability
of the programs. The Research Brief was prepared by Abt Associates under contract
with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.
Table of contents:
Background
Summary of Findings
Methods
Promising Practices
Promising Practices Among Programs with PHA Involvement
Conclusions
Source:
Human Services Policy
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/index.shtml
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
http://aspe.hhs.gov/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.hhs.gov/
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Fifteenth Annual Welfare Research and Evaluation
Conference
http://www.wrconference.net/index.aspx
May 30–June 1, 2012
Omni Shoreham Hotel
Washington, DC
The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration
for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
is pleased to announce that the 15th Annual Welfare Research and Evaluation
Conference will be held May 30–June 1, 2012 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel
in Washington, DC. The 2012 conference will provide another
exciting opportunity to learn about the latest findings from evaluations of
welfare and poverty programs and policies, discuss ways to incorporate findings
into the design and implementation of programs, and develop strategies for future
evaluations. Conference presentations will feature both basic and applied research
and will be addressed to both researchers and practitioners.
Before you get all excited....
The 2012 conference agenda hadn't been posted yet when I checked this site on March 3/12. A link to the 2012 agenda will be included in the Canadian Social Research Newsletter as soon as it's available on the conference site. In the meantime, the event organizers suggest that you check out the 2011 Agenda and Session Footage to get a taste of the types of presentations to expect this year.
2011 Agenda and Session Footage
http://www.wrconference.net/wrconference_2011/2011Agenda.aspx
WOW --- Jackpot!
The 2011 agenda is a detailed program for the three days of the conference,
and it includes twelve video sessions lasting from 70 to 80 minutes each.
I watched a few, and I was so impressed by the quality content from the government
and academic experts on the panels that I decided to include the complete list
of videos below. [To watch a video from the list below, click the above agenda
link and scroll down the page to click on a specific video link.]
[ TANF = Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ]
* TANF During a Time of High Unemployment
and Limited Resources
* Job Training as a Means Towards Labor Market Advancement
* Fathers, Their Effect on Family Self-Sufficiency and Federal- and State-Led
Responses
* TANF Child-Only Cases
* Subsidized Employment in the TANF Emergency Fund
* The Future of the U.S. Labor Market: A Conversation on Challenges and Next
Steps
* Understanding Disconnected Families
* Disadvantaged Youth: Supporting Transitions to a Successful Adulthood
* Higher Education for TANF Recipients
* Federal Collaboration Around Career Pathways
* TANF Performance Measures
* Applying Behavioral Perspectives to Strengthening the Safety Net and Stabilizing
Low-Income Families
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NOTE: If you're on a "light" Internet account
that requires you to limit your downloads, you may want to take a pass on the
videos for the 2011 and 2010 conferences. Each of the two-hour videos below
will run just under 300MB.
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2010 Agenda and Session Footage
http://www.wrconference.net/wrconference_2010/agenda2010.aspx
[To watch a video from the list below, click the above agenda link and scroll
down the page to click on a specific video link.]
(Each video sessions lasts almost two hours.)
* Welcome and Introductory Remarks
* The Role of Evidence in Policy
* TANF Reauthorization: Future Directions for the TANF Program
* The Future of Employment, Retention and Advancement: How Do We Move Forward?
* Child Well-Being and Economic Downturns
* Transitional Jobs and Subsidized Employment for Retention and Advancement
* Men, Fathers and Income Support Policy
* Connections to Businesses: A Path to Improved Retention and Advancement?
* Cross-Agency Collaboration in the Federal Government: Identifying and Promoting
Shared Interests
* Employment Strategies for the Hard-to-Serve
* Invitation to the National Association of Welfare Research and Statistics
Conference
Earlier conferences in this series (back
to 2006)
http://www.wrconference.net/pastconferences.aspx
Source:
Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/
Administration for Children and Families
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/index.html
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.hhs.gov/
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From the
U.S. Conference of Mayors:
Hunger and Homelessness Survey
A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America’s Cities
A 29-City Survey (PDF - 9.2MB,
107 pages)
http://www.usmayors.org/pressreleases/uploads/2011-hhreport.pdf
December 2011
News Release
Joblessness leads to more hungry and homeless families
in the U.S. cities (PDF - 192K, 3 pages)
http://www.usmayors.org/pressreleases/uploads/20111215-release-hhr-en.pdf
December 15, 2011
Washington, D.C. – In the midst of a struggling economy and continuing
high levels of unemployment, U.S. cities are feeling the pressure from increased
numbers of hungry and homeless families according to a U.S. Conference of Mayors
(USCM) report on the status of Hunger and Homelessness in 29 cities in America
(below) that was released today by the U.S. Conference of Mayors on a news conference
call.
Source:
U.S. Conference of Mayors
http://www.usmayors.org/
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities
with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,139 such cities in the country
today, each represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the
Mayor.
---
From CBS News:
Census data : Half of U.S. poor or low income
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57343397/census-data-half-of-u.s-poor-or-low-income/
December 15, 2011
WASHINGTON - Squeezed by rising living costs, a record number of Americans —
nearly 1 in 2 — have fallen into poverty or are scraping by on earnings
that classify them as low income. The latest census data*
depict a middle class that's shrinking as unemployment stays high and the government's
safety net frays. The new numbers follow years of stagnating wages for the middle
class that have hurt millions of workers and families.
(...) Mayors in 29 cities say more than 1 in 4 people needing emergency food
assistance did not receive it. Many middle-class Americans are dropping below
the low-income threshold — roughly $45,000 for a family of four —
because of pay cuts, a forced reduction of work hours or a spouse losing a job.
Housing and child-care costs are consuming up to half of a family's income.
(...) A survey of 29 cities conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors being
released Thursday points to a gloomy outlook for those on the lower end of the
income scale.
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* "Latest Census
data" refers to the release of the following report by the Census Bureau:
Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010
(September 13, 2011)
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us.htm#income_poverty_and_health_insurance_coverage
NOTE : This link will take you further down on the page you're now reading,
where you'll find a link to the report itself, along with a collection of ~50
links to related fact sheets, NGO analysis of the report, media coverage, historical
tables and much more
---------------------------
Related links from CBS News:
* New data shows poverty at an all-time high (Video,
duration 2:33)
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7387553n
(Undated, likely September 2011)
* Poverty in America: The faces behind the figures
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/19/national/main20108085.shtml
September 19, 2011
* Poverty continues to rise in U.S., now 15.1%
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/13/national/main20105376.shtml
September 13, 2011
* Most U.S. unemployed no longer receive benefits
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57319258/
November 5, 2011
Source:
CBS News
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On September 13, 2011, the U.S. Census
Bureau released the 2010 edition of its annual report entitled
Income, Poverty,
and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States (this
link takes you further down on the page you're now reading)
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Trends in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Participation Rates: 2002 – 2009
Summary
(PDF - 63K, 2 pages)
Complete
report (PDF - 6.3MB, 131 pages)
August 2011
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) [formerly known as the
Food Stamp program] helps low-income individuals purchase food so that they
can obtain a nutritious diet. One important measure of program performance is
the ability to reach its target population, as indicated by the percentage of
people eligible for benefits who actually participate. This report is the latest
in a series on SNAP participation rates. Estimates are based on the March 2010
Current Population Survey and program administrative data for Fiscal Year (FY)
2009. The findings represent national participation rates for FY 2009.
Source:
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP)
We help put healthy food on the table for over 40 million people each month.
[ Office of Research and Analysis
]
[ Food and Nutrition Service ]
[ U.S. Department of Agriculture ]
NOTE : Click any of the source links above to browse related research reports
and more...
Related link:
More Americans
Hungry For Food Stamps
By Marilyn Geewax
About 46 million people get government help in the form of food stamps when
buying food. That's roughly 15 percent of the population.
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to release its latest
update on the food stamp program [see the link above]. It's an important indicator
of the nation's economic health — and the prognosis is not good. Food stamp
use is up 70 percent over the past four years and that trend is expected to
continue.
The spike began in late-2008 and early-2009 when the worst of the recession was triggering massive layoffs and home foreclosures. Although the economy has been growing since mid-2009, the pace has been too slow to absorb the nearly 14 million people without jobs. Nearly half of those have been out of work more than six months.
As a result, the number of people seeking federal help with
groceries has been soaring. At this time four years ago, before the recession
hit, about 27 million people were using food stamps. Today 46 million get help
through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — what most people
call food stamps — which is roughly 15 percent of the population.
Source:
National Public Radio (NPR)
A thriving media organization at the forefront of digital innovation, NPR creates
and distributes award-winning news, information, and music programming to a
network of 900 independent stations. Through them, NPR programming reaches 26.8
million listeners every week.
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From the
U.S. Census Bureau:
The
2011 Statistical Abstract
The Statistical Abstract of the United States is the standard summary of statistics
on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. It
is also designed to serve as a guide to other statistical publications and sources.
The latter function is served by the introductory text to each section, the
source note appearing below each table, and Appendix I, which comprises the
Guide to Sources of Statistics, the Guide to State Statistical Abstracts, and
the Guide to Foreign Statistical Abstracts. [ Excerpt from the Overview
]
Click the link above to scan the 2011 Statistical
Abstract Table of contents
and download the individual sections in PDF format. Move your cursor over the
list of sections in the left-hand margin to see the content of each of those
sections.
[Most stats tables are for 2008 or 2009.]
Population - Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Divorces
- Health and Nutrition - Education - Law Enforcement, Courts, and Prisons -
Geography and Environment - Elections - State and Local Government Finances
and Employment - Federal Government Finances and Employment - National Security
and Veterans Affairs - Social Insurance and Human Services - Labor Force, Employment,
and Earnings - Income, Expenditures, Poverty, and Wealth - Prices - Business
Enterprise - Science and Technology - Agriculture - Forestry, Fishing, and Mining
- Energy and Utilities - Construction and Housing - Manufactures - Wholesale
and Retail Trade - Transportation - Information and Communications - Banking,
Finance, and Insurance - Arts, Recreation, and Travel - Accommodation, Food
Services, and Other Services - Foreign Commerce and Aid - Puerto Rico and the
Island Areas - International Statistics
Appendix I. Guide to Sources of Statistics 879-893
Appendix I. Guide to State Statistical Abstracts 894-897
Appendix I. Guide to Foreign Statistical Abstracts 898-899
Appendix II. Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: Concepts, Components,
and Population 900-920
Appendix III. Limitations of the Data 921-946
Appendix IV. Weights and Measures 947
Appendix V. Tables Deleted From Earlier Editions of the Statistical Abstract
949-950
Index 951-1010
Map of the United States, Showing Census Regions and Divisions Cover
Earlier editions of the Statistical Abstract - right back to 1789!
Related link:
Don’t
kill America’s databook
By Robert J. Samuelson
August 21, 2011
If you want to know something about America, there are few better places to
start than the “Statistical Abstract of the United States.” Published
annually by the Census Bureau, the Stat Abstract assembles about 1,400 tables
describing our national condition. (...) The Stat Abstract is headed for the
chopping block. The 2012 edition, scheduled for publication later this year,
will be the last, unless someone saves it. (...) It can be argued that much
of what’s in the Stat Abstract is online somewhere. True — but irrelevant.
Many government and private databases are hard to access and search, even if
you know what you want. Often, you don’t. The Stat Abstract has two great
virtues. First, it conveniently presents in one place a huge amount of information
from a vast array of government and private sources. (...) Second, the footnotes
show where to get more information. (...) Without the Stat Abstract, statistics
will become more hidden, and our collective knowledge will suffer. Must this
be? If Census doesn’t rescind its misguided death sentence, the agency
could contract with some wealthy private foundation to support the abstract.
Source:
Washington Post
---
- Go to the Census 2011 questionnaire
links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/2011_census_questionnaire.htm
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The United States Social Security Administration TOP SERVICES (Click the link above to select one of the online services below) * Get or replace a Social Security card * Apply for retirement benefits * Apply for disability benefits * Apply for Medicare * Apply for other benefits * Estimate your retirement benefits * Get extra help with Medicare prescription drug costs * Learn what you can do online * Check the status of your application * Services for people currently receiving benefits * Request a Social Security Statement * Get a form * Get a publication * Appeal a disability decision * Services for the homeless, representative payees, governments, financial planners, human resource professionals & third parties * Research popular baby names * Find a Social Security office |
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From the
White House:
Women
in America:
Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being (PDF - 2MB, 97 pages)
Prepared by
U. S. Department of Commerce
Economics and Statistics Administration
and
Executive Office of the President
Office of Management and Budget
March 2011
This report provides a statistical picture of women in America in five critical
areas: demographic and family changes, education, employment, health, and crime
and violence. By presenting a quantitative snapshot of the well-being of American
women based on Federal data, the report greatly enhances our understanding both
of how far American women have come and the areas where there is still work
to be done.
[Excerpt from the Foreword]
Related links:
February 28, 2011
Presidential
Proclamation--Women's History Month, 2011
During Women's History Month, we reflect on the extraordinary accomplishments
of women and honor their role in shaping the course of our Nation's history.
Today, women have reached heights their mothers and grandmothers might only
have imagined. Women now comprise nearly half of our workforce and the majority
of students in our colleges and universities. They scale the skies as astronauts,
expand our economy as entrepreneurs and business leaders, and serve our country
at the highest levels of government and our Armed Forces. In honor of the pioneering
women who came before us, and in recognition of those who will come after us,
this month, we recommit to erasing the remaining inequities facing women in
our day.
Women's History Month (U.S. Government website)
White
House marks Women's History Month with 50-year progress report
Women's History Month began Tuesday, and the White House released the
'first comprehensive federal report on the status of women' since 1963
March 1, 2011
By Daniel B. Wood
Young women in America are more likely than men to have a college degree, and
women’s earnings constitute a growing share of household income, but their
wages still lag significantly behind those of men with comparable education,
according to a report on the status of women released Tuesday by the White House.
The White House released the report, which it called the “first comprehensive
federal report on the status of women in almost 50 years,” on the first
day of Women’s History Month.
NOTE : This article includes links to:
* Gallery: Real-life wonder women
* Gallery: Top 10 countries where women make less than men
* Gallery: Top 10 countries where women's pay comes closest to men's pay
* Surprise! Women started more firms than men.
* Big winners right now in the job market: older white women
* Homelessness besets more women. How to respond?
Source:
Christian Science Monitor
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- Go to the Links to International
Sites about Women's Social Issues page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/womeninternat.htm
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President
Obama's Weekly Address:
Health Reform Starts to Kick In (4.5-minute video)
May 8, 2010
The President goes through the benefits in health insurance reform that are
already kicking in for young adults, retirees, and families, and says more benefits
coming down the pike.
Source:
The White House Blog
[ The White House ]
--------------
From the Los Angeles Times:
Unemployment
benefits expire as Congress debates extension
Lawmakers are likely to take up the issue when they return from spring break
next week. The sticking point is how to pay for an extension.
By Clement Tan
April 6, 2010
As unemployment benefits expired Monday for tens of thousands of jobless workers,
Democrats and Republicans renewed their haggling over whether to vote for an
extension when Congress returns from its spring break next week. At the heart
of the dispute is whether the extension should be offset by spending cuts, as
Republicans are demanding, or whether it constitutes an emergency, as Democrats
say. The expiration means 212,000 unemployed people will lose benefits this
week, according to figures provided by the National Employment Law Project.
A
federal balancing act
Congress won't resolve the federal deficit problem by arguing over emergency
spending programs aimed at spurring the economy. The real problems are far larger.
Editorial
April 18, 2010
Call it Congress' version of "lather, rinse, repeat."
Last week, lawmakers approved a short-term extension of unemployment benefits
after overcoming yet another GOP filibuster, the third such extension since
December. The extension lasts only until early June, so Congress may soon be
going through the same routine again. Republicans object to borrowing money
to finance the extra benefits, while Democrats refuse to offset the additional
spending by cutting other parts of the budget
Source:
Los Angeles Times
---------------------------------
Related links:
Unemployment Insurance - from the U.S. Department of Labor
Unemployment benefits - from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Links
to Information about
Unemployment Insurance
programs in each state in the U.S.
- from America's Service Locator
---
National Employment Law Project
The National Employment Law Project (NELP) responds (to worker insecurity and
inequality) by working to restore the promise of economic opportunity in the
21st century economy. (...) We partner with strong advocacy networks, grounded
in the full range of stakeholders - grassroots groups and national organizations,
worker centers and unions, policymakers and think tanks.
NELP
Issues: Unemployment Insurance
In an increasingly volatile economy, working families need a strong unemployment
insurance program - one that is there in hard times to help them pay the bills
and find new jobs that meet their needs and aspirations. However, the unemployment
insurance safety net has failed to keep pace with the changing labor force,
especially the growth in women, part-time and low-wage workers. In response,
policymakers in over half the states have adopted significant reforms in recent
years to modernize their unemployment insurance (UI) programs.
Unemployed Workers
Home
A special project of the National Employment Law Project
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United States
Census 2010 - Home Page
Census Day was April 1 in the U.S. - the day when all Americans were counted
by the Census Bureau.
The last day to return completed Census 2010 questionnaires was April 16.
[ 2010 United States Census - from Wikipedia ]
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Census
to Redefine Poverty
By Ron Haskins, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
Doug Nelson , CEO, Annie E. Casey Foundations
March 12, 2010
With so many policy debates mired in partisan politics, the announcement last
week by the U.S. Census Bureau that it plans to develop a supplemental poverty
measure and then open it to public scrutiny is something both Republicans and
Democrats can agree on.
Source:
Brookings Institution
---
Observations
from the
Interagency Technical Working Group
on Developing a Supplemental Poverty Measure
(PDF - 138K, 8 pages)
March 2010
(...)The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) would not replace the official poverty
measure. The Working Group has designed it as an experimental measure that defines
thresholds and resources in a manner different from the official poverty measure.
The SPM should be considered a work in progress, with the expectation that there
will be improvements to it over time. (...) The official statistical poverty
measure, as defined in OMB Statistical Policy Directive No. 14, will continue
to be produced and updated every year. This is the statistical measure that
is released annually in the fall and is sometimes identified in legislation
regarding program eligibility and funding distribution.
Source:
Poverty resources
page
[ U.S. Census Bureau]
---
Supplemental
Federal Poverty Measure Explained (2.5 minute video)
The U.S. Census Bureau announced that it will be developing an alternative way
to measure poverty. This new method will better reflect the realities facing
struggling families and ways in which current government programs can help them
to get back on their feet. Unlike the traditional poverty measure, which is
based in a 1960s reality, this supplemental measure will provide a more accurate
accounting of household budgets and better determination of whether a family
has enough resources to meet its most basic needs.
Source:
Half in Ten: From Poverty to Prosperity
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years
More than thirty-seven million Americans live below the official poverty line
(which is now $21,203 for a family of four), and more than 13.3 million children
are poor in this country. Inequality has reached record highs – it is greater
than at any time since 1929. (...)
---
From
Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity:
* The Measuring American Poverty Act
* Links to Federal Poverty Measurement Resources
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Census
Bureau to Develop Supplemental Poverty Measure
New measurement will complement but not replace existing
statistic
Press Release
March 2, 2010
WASHINGTON—The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau is preparing
to develop a Supplemental Poverty Measure that will use the best new data and
methodologies to obtain an improved understanding of the economic well-being
of American families and of how federal policies affect those living in poverty.
The initiative to create the new statistic is included in the President’s
FY2011 budget proposal.
Source
U.S. Department of Commerce
[The U.S. Census Bureau is a component
of the U.S. Department of Commerce]
NOTE: for related
links, go to the
Poverty Measures - International Resources page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm
---------------------------------------------------
Assets
for Independence (AFI) Program
- incl. links to:
* About AFI * Prospective Grantees * Current Grantees * Guidance, Policies,
and Procedures * Publications and Reports * Contact AFI
* Frequently Asked Questions
The Assets for Independence (AFI) is a Federal program that provides grants to enable community-based nonprofits and State, local, and Tribal government agencies to implement and demonstrate an asset-based approach for offering low-income families help out of poverty. (...) Asset building is an anti-poverty strategy that helps low-income people move toward greater self-sufficiency by accumulating savings and purchasing long-term assets. The theory behind this approach is that helping people purchase an asset, as opposed to simply increasing their income, provides stability that may allow them to escape the cycle of poverty permanently. Examples of long-term assets include a home, higher education and training, and a business.
AFI
Project Locator
Individuals interested in building assets through participation in an AFI program
can browse the Project Locator to find opportunities in their communities.
AFI
- Eighth Annual Report to Congress PDF (897K, 90 pages)
File dated June 2009
The Eighth Annual Report to Congress provides an update on the status of the
Assets for Independence (AFI) program through the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2007.
The program was established by the Assets for Independence Act in Title IV of
the Community Opportunities, Accountability, and Training and Educational Services
Act of 1998.
(...)
The FSA program allows participants to use FSA savings to purchase the three
AFI allowable assets: homeownership, postsecondary education or training, and
business capitalization. Authorized uses of funds also include home repair and
car purchase, computer purchase, or day care (if the car, computer or day care
is related to employment or education). Federal AFI funds may be used to match
savings for any of these asset purchases.
Source:
Office of Community
Services
[ Administration for Children and
Families ]
[ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
]
Related links:
Go to the Asset-Based Social Policies Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/assets.htm
U.S. Government Sites
USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal
USA.gov
- "Government Made Easy"
- incl. links to : * Agency Index * Federal
Government * State Government * Local Government * Tribal Governments
Government
Information by Topic :
* Benefits and Grants * Consumer
Guides * Defense and International * Environment, Energy, and Agriculture * Family,
Home, and Community * Health and Nutrition * History, Arts, and Culture *
Jobs and Education
* Money and Taxes * Public Safety and Law * Reference
and General Government * Science and Technology * Travel and Recreation * Voting
and Elections
Senior
Citizens' Resources - USA.gov
- incl. links to : * Consumer Protection
for Seniors * Education, Jobs, and Volunteerism for Seniors * End-of-Life Issues
* Federal and State Agencies for Seniors * Health for Seniors * Housing for Seniors
* Laws and Regulations Concerning Seniors * Money and Taxes for Seniors * Retirement
* Travel and Recreation for Seniors
Government
Benefits, Grants and Financial Aid
Official information and services
from the U.S. government
GovBenefits.gov
- Your Benefits Connection
"...a partnership of Federal agencies
with a shared vision - to provide improved, personalized access to government
assistance programs."
[A Partner is a Federal, State or Local government
organization that makes benefit program information available to the public on
the GovBenefits.gov website. - from About
GovBenefits.gov
www.grants.gov
"Grants.gov,
which is part of President Bush's E-gov initiative, serves as a one-stop comprehensive
web clearinghouse for information about federal grant opportunities and grant
application materials."
DisabilityInfo.gov
"DisabilityInfo.gov
is a comprehensive online resource specifically designed to provide people with
disabilities with the information they need to know quickly. With just a few clicks,
the portal provides access to disability-related information and programs available
across the government on numerous subjects, including civil rights, education,
employment, housing, health, income support, technology, transportation, and community
life."
- Click on the tabs near the top of the home page to access a
wealth of information on the following themes: Home - Employment - Education -
Housing - Transportation - Health - Income Support - Technology - Community Life
- Civil Rights.
Sample content:
Income
Support --- incl. links to information about : Food Stamps - General -
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) - Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Social Security Work Incentives - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families -
Veterans Benefits - Welfare-To-Work
State
of the Union Address Related Link: Google.ca
Web Search Results: "State of
the Union Address" State
of the Union Archive |
The President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2013
February 13, 2012
Each year, the President of the United States
submits his budget request to Congress for the following fiscal year (beginning
October 1), as required by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921. Current
law (31 U.S.C. § 1105(a)) requires the President to submit a budget no
earlier than the first Monday in January, and no later than the first Monday
in February.
Source:
Excerpt from United States federal budget:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2013
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/
February 13, 2012
After decades of eroding middle-class security as those at the very top saw
their incomes rise as never before and after a historic recession that plunged
our economy into a crisis from which we are still fighting to recover, it is
time to construct an economy that is built to last.
- includes links to:
* President's Message * Mid-Session review * The Budget * Overview * Cuts, Consolidations
and Savings * Analytical Perspectives * Historical Tables * Supplemental Materials
* Appendix * Supplementals, Amendments, and Releases * OMB Contributors to the
Budget * Fact Sheets * Past Budgets
The Budget:
HTML version (Table of contents + links to each section of the Budget and
summary tables, all in separate PDF files)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Overview
PDF version (4.6MB, 256 pages, all in one PDF file)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2013/assets/budget.pdf
Source:
Office of Management and Budget
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/
[ The White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ ]
Also from
the White House:
President Obama's 2013 Budget is a Blueprint
for an America Built to Last
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/02/13/president-obamas-2013-budget-blueprint-america-built-last
By Matt Compton
February 13, 2012
Source:
White House Blog
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related links:
From CLASP
(Center for Law and Social Policy):
CLASP Statement on the proposed budget for
Fiscal Year 2013
February 15, 2012
On Monday, President Obama released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2013.
After looking through the proposal, CLASP believes that given the difficult
political and economic environment, the president's budget sets the right tone
and lays out a vision for restoring prosperity and creating broader opportunity.While
the proposal includes a plan for long-term deficit reduction, it makes short-term
investments in child care and early education programs, workforce development,
and postsecondary education and training. In addition, the president calls for
a fairer tax code by raising taxes for the wealthiest, eliminating corporate
tax loopholes, and permanently expanding tax credits for working poor and middle
class families.
Source:
Email alert from CLASP
CLASP Full Statement on the Proposed Budget
http://www.clasp.org/issues/pages?type=poverty_and_opportunity&id=0067
NOTE : Scroll to the bottom of the full statement
for links to the following CLASP responses to the president's FY 2013 budget
by issue:
* President's Budget Includes Subsidized Employment and Job Training Opportunities
* President Proposes to Restore Legal Aid Funding, But More Is Needed
* President's Budget Includes Promising News for Early Childhood
* President's Proposal Demonstrates Commitment to Disconnected Youth, but Doesn't
Go Far Enough
* Education and Training Are Top Priorities in President Obama's 2013 Budget
* President Proposes New Investments in America's Workforce
The budget process now moves to Congress. CLASP will continue working with our partners to advocate for an inclusive budget that’s fair and invests in sound policies that provide opportunity for families to access the education, training and other resources they need to thrive.
Source:
CLASP (Center for Law and Social Policy)
http://www.clasp.org/
Since 1969, CLASP has been a trusted resource, a creative architect for systems
change, and one of the country's most effective voices for low income people.
---
From the
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP):
Statement by Robert Greenstein, President,
on President Obama’s 2013 Budget
February 16, 2012
By Robert Greenstein
The President’s budget would, if enacted, make significant progress in
reducing deficits, although policymakers would have to take further steps, especially
for future decades. Under its economic assumptions, it would achieve what most
budget analysts, and all recent bipartisan commissions or panels, have identified
as the crucial fiscal goal for the decade ahead — stabilizing the debt
so that it no longer rises faster than the economy. To meet that goal, deficits
must shrink to a bit less than 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the President’s
budget would stabilize deficits at 2.8% of GDP from 2019 through 2022. The budget
also would stop the debt from rising as a share of the economy in 2014 and reduce
it slightly as a share of GDP over the following eight years.
View the full statement:
HTML version:
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3680
PDF version (small PDF file, 3 pages)
http://www.cbpp.org/files/2-13-12bud.pdf
http://www.cbpp.org/files/2-13-12bud.pdf 3pp.
Source:
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP)
http://www.cbpp.org/
---
From the
Washington Post:
Obama budget: National debt will be $1 trillion
higher in a decade than forecast
http://goo.gl/mq0T0
By Lori Montgomery
February 13
President Obama rolled out an election-year budget on Monday that would delay
action to reduce the national debt in favor of fresh spending on Democratic
priorities aimed at rebuilding the American middle class. In his final budget
request before facing voters in November, Obama called for $350 billion in new
stimulus to maintain lower payroll taxes, bolster domestic manufacturing, lure
jobs back from overseas, hire teachers, retrain workers and fix the nation’s
crumbling infrastructure. There would be only modest trims to federal health-care
programs and no changes to Social Security, the biggest drivers of future borrowing,
despite last year’s raucous political debate over the federal debt.
Source:
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
---
From the
New York Times:
A Responsible Budget
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/opinion/a-responsible-2013-budget.html
February 13, 2012
President Obama’s 2013 budget was greeted on Monday with Republican catcalls
that it is simply a campaign document, but election-year budgets are supposed
to explain priorities to voters. This one offers a clear and welcome contrast
to the slashing austerity — and protect-the-wealthy priorities — favored
by Republican Congressional leaders and the party’s presidential candidates
Four Ways to Slice Obama’s 2013 Budget
Proposal
Explore every nook and cranny of President Obama's federal budget proposal.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/13/us/politics/2013-budget-proposal-graphic.html
Source:
New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/
|
|
|
|
|
The
Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives publishes
transcripts of the hearings it holds on issues in its areas of responsibility.
For a complete list of these hearings, see
<http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp>.
Some
of the hearings in 2007 and 2008 have focused on topics relating to (U.S.) poverty
and social welfare policy, as you can see in the list below.
To see the complete
list of hearings and to view any transcript, click the link above.
Selected
hearings:
(4-15-2008) Hearing on the Instability of
Health Coverage in America Health
(4-10-2008) Hearing on Extending Unemployment
Insurance Income Security and Family Support
(2-28-2008) Hearing on Medicare
Advantage Health
(1-16-2008) Hearing on Social Security Benefits for Economically
Vulnerable Beneficiaries Social Security
(11-14-2007) Hearing on Impact of
Gaps in Health Coverage on Income Security Income Security and Family Support
(9-19-2007)
Hearing on Modernizing Unemployment Insurance to Reduce Barriers for Jobless Workers
(9-6-2007)
Hearing on Fair and Equitable Tax Policy for America’s Working Families.
(8-1-2007) Hearing on Measuring Poverty in America
(4-26-2007) Hearing on
Proposals for Reducing Poverty
More...[link
to the list of hearings]
Source:
Committee
on Ways and Means
[ U.S.
House of Representatives ]
For related links, go to the Poverty Measures - International Resources page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm
General
Accounting Office
"The General Accounting Office is the audit,
evaluation, and investigative arm of Congress. GAO exists to support the Congress
in meeting its Constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance
and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the American people."
Supports
for Low Income Families
States Serve a
Broad Range of Families through a Complex and Changing System
Report
to the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate
January
2004
Highlights
(PDF file - 69K, 1 page)
Complete
report (PDF file - 577K, 80 pages)
"(...) States have used TANF
funds to experiment with new support programs and have recognized that supports
like subsidized child care are an increasingly important support for low-income
working families. Most recently, states have faced fiscal crises and tough choices
about reducing their supports for low-income families. The emphasis on moving
people into work, though, remains a priority. As states continue to adjust supports
for low-income families in efforts to move forward with the reforms of the last
decade and improve efficiency, access, and coordination, they will also continue
to face the pressures of competing priorities and fiscal constraints."
[p.
39, [Concluding Observations]
Source:
General
Accounting Office
Department
of Health and Human Services
- incl. links to content organized under
the following headings:
Diseases & Conditions - Safety & Wellness
- Drug & Food Information - Disasters & Emergencies - Grants & Funding
- Reference Collections - Families & Children - Aging - Specific Populations
- Resource Locators - Policies & Regulations - About
HHS
Office
of Family Assistance (OFA)
"The Office of Family Assistance (OFA)
is located in the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration
for Children and Families and oversees the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF) Program which was created by the Welfare Reform Law of 1996. TANF became
effective July 1, 1997, and replaced what was then commonly known as welfare:
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and the Job Opportunities and Basic
Skills Training (JOBS) programs. TANF provides assistance and work opportunities
to needy families by granting states the federal funds and wide flexibility to
develop and implement their own welfare programs."
Administration
for Children and Families
"ACF is a federal agency funding state,
local, and tribal organizations to provide family assistance (welfare), child
support, child care, Head Start, child welfare, and other programs relating to
children and families. Actual services are provided by state, county, city and
tribal governments, and public and private local agencies. ACF assists these organizations
through funding, policy direction, and information services."
Welfare
Rolls Fall Under Two Million Total
Number of TANF Families and Recipients Source:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Secretary
Thompson Announces TANF Caseloads Declined in 2003 Change
in Numbers of TANF Families and Recipients Source:
|
Report
Shows Effects of Education on Employment of Welfare Recipients Source: |
|
Special : 10 years after welfare reform in the U.S. . A decade of welfare reform : Facts and figures, (PDF file - 47K, 6 pages) from The Urban Institute, Washington, June (2006). . Getting on, staying on and getting off welfare : The complexity of state-by-state policy choices (PDF file - 203K, 8 pages) G. Rowe and L. Giannarelli, The Urban Institute, Washington, July (2006). . The outcomes of 1996 welfare reform (PDF file - 117K, 12pages), R Haskings, The Brookings Institution, Washington, Testimony, House Ways and Means Committee, July (2006). . TANF at 10 : Program results are more mixed than often understood (PDF file - 244K, 16pages), S. Parrott and A. Sherman, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Washington, August (2006). . Ten years after welfare reform. It's time to make work work for families (PDF file - K, 2 pages), E. Ganzglass, Center for Law and Social Policy, Washington, August (2006). . Getting punched : The job and family clock : It's time for flexible work for workers of all wages, (PDF file - 159K, 32 pages) J. Levin-Epstein, Center for Law and Social Policy, Washington, July (2006). Source: --------------------------------------- Bush
Administration Releases Interim
|
Assistant
Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
"The Assistant Secretary
for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) is the principal advisor to the Secretary of
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on policy development, and is
responsible for major activities in the areas of policy coordination, legislation
development, strategic planning, policy research and evaluation, and economic
analysis."
|
[ Federal
Register Notice, January 20, 2011 — Full text ] *** There are two slightly different versions of the federal poverty measure: the poverty thresholds and the poverty guidelines. The poverty thresholds are the original version of the federal poverty measure. They are updated each year by the Census Bureau (although they were originally developed by Mollie Orshansky of the Social Security Administration). The thresholds are used mainly for statistical purposes — for instance, preparing estimates of the number of Americans in poverty each year. (In other words, all official poverty population figures are calculated using the poverty thresholds, not the guidelines.) The poverty guidelines are the other version of the federal poverty measure. They are issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines are a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use for administrative purposes — for instance, determining financial eligibility for certain federal programs. The poverty guidelines are sometimes loosely referred to as the “federal poverty level” (FPL), but that phrase is ambiguous and should be avoided, especially in situations (e.g., legislative or administrative) where precision is important. Key differences between poverty thresholds
and poverty guidelines are outlined in a table under Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs). Source: ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- Further
Resources on Poverty Measurement, Poverty Lines, The
Development and History of the Poverty Thresholds Previous
HHS Poverty Guidelines Related link: Poverty
Thresholds (1973-2007 and selected earlier years back to 1959) |
| NOTE:
For links to more info about poverty measures and poverty measurement in the U.S.,
go to the Poverty Measures - International Resources page of this site: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm |
Census
Bureau Poverty Page
- includes links to : * Poverty Home * Overview
*What's new * Publications * Definitions * Poverty Thresholds * Poverty Data Sources
* Current Poverty Data * Microdata Access * Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
* History of the Poverty Measure * Poverty Measurement Studies and Alternative
Measures * Related Sites * FAQ
U.S. Census Bureau:
History
http://www.census.gov/history/
While
the U.S. Census Bureau has only been in existence since 1903, the first population
census was taken in 1790, per the requirements stated in the United States Constitution.
This rather engaging website traces the history of the census through statistics,
historic photographs, and other documents. On the homepage, visitors can browse
through the "This Month in Census History" feature and learn some quick
facts in the "Did You Know?" section. Moving along, the "Census-Then
& Now" area should not be missed. Here visitors can learn about past
directors of the census (such as Thomas Jefferson), read up on relevant legislation,
and even look over biographies of notable census alumni. Next up is the "Geography
& Mapping" section which contains an overview of how the Census maps
data, coupled with a few famous maps from censuses past. One item that shouldn't
be missed is the "Centers of Population" map, which shows the mean center
of the population of the United States following each census. The site is rounded
out by a "Through The Decades" feature, which brings visitors up to
speed with the various changes made for each census.
Review by:
The
Scout Report
http://scout.wisc.edu/
Copyright
Internet Scout Project 1994-2008.
U.S.
Census Bureau: Economic Indicators
Policy wonks,
planners, and those with a general penchant for statistics will thoroughly enjoy
the U.S. Census Bureau's Economic Indicators homepage. For starters, the homepage
alone would be a reason to visit, as it includes the most recent data on manufacturing
and trade inventories in the U.S., along with retail and food service sales, international
trade in goods and services, and data on new home sales. It's also worth mentioning
that the information can be obtained and examined in different formats, and they
also offer up historic indicators dating back to the 1950s and 1960s in many instances.
Visitors to the site can also learn when the next data set will be released and
they may also wish to read the program overview for each data set.
Poverty
Measurement Studies and Alternative Measures
- includes links to the
1976 Measure of Poverty report, the 1985 Williamsburg Conference and Technical
Papers 51-58, the 1995 National Academy of Sciences report and related reports
and papers, and the 2005 American Enterprise Institute seminar series
*
Exploring
the Use of the Views of the Public to Set
Income Poverty Thresholds and Adjust
Them Over Time (PDF - 387K, 77 pages)
By Denton R. Vaughan
February
2004 (updated from June 1993)
Beginning in 1946 (more than two decades before
Dutch economists began developing “subjective” poverty measures), the
Gallup Poll in the U.S. repeatedly asked the following question: “What is
the smallest amount of money a family of four (husband, wife, and two children)
needs each week to get along in this community?” (Similar questions have
been asked in Gallup Polls in Canada and Australia.) This paper by Vaughan is
the most up-to-date and thorough analysis of the results of this “get-along”
question. The paper uses the U.S. Gallup “get-along” responses for the
period 1947-1989 plus the response to a 1989 Gallup “poverty line” question
to construct a “Gallup-based” poverty line series for a four-person
family for the 1947-1989 period.
* Personal
Assessments of Minimum Income and Expenses:
What Do They Tell Us about ‘Minimum
Living’ Thresholds and Equivalence Scales? (PDF - 1.1MB, 69 pages)
By
Thesia I. Garner and Kathleen S. Short
July 2002
This and similar papers
by Garner and Short are probably the most up-to-date work on “subjective”
poverty measures now being done in the United States.
Poverty Thresholds (1973-2007 and selected earlier years back to 1959)
Links
to Related Sites
Find other agencies or organizations which provide
Poverty Measurement Research
-
Poverty Measurement
Working Papers
- incl. links to papers and reports organized
under the following themes:
* Measuring Poverty - Background and Overview
* Who are the Poor? Using Different Measures * Poverty Thresholds * Medical Care
* Housing Costs * Work-related Expenses and Child Care * Taxes and Unit of Analysis
* Other Approaches to Measuring Economic Well-being
History
of the Poverty Measure
- links to the following papers:
* The Development
of the Orshansky Thresholds and Their Subsequent History as the Official U.S.
Poverty Measure, by Gordon M. Fisher (1992)
* "Changes in the Definition
of Poverty", from Characteristics of the Population Below the Poverty Level:
1980
* Office of Management and Budget Statistical Policy Directive 14 (1978)
- establishing the official poverty measure for federal agencies to use in their
statistical work.
* The Measure of Poverty (1976) A series of technical papers
about poverty measurement performed for the Poverty Studies Task Force of the
Federal Interagency Committee on Education.
* Family Food Plans and Food Costs
(1962)
Related Link:
Census Bureau Income Page - incl. links to : * What's New * Income Main * Overview * Reports * Definitions * Guidance about the Sources * How Income Data is Collected * Micro Data Access * Related Topics * FAQ * Current and historical income data
Series
of new reports highlighting results from the
2008 American Community Survey
(ACS)
- focusing on changes between
the 2007 ACS and the 2008 ACS.
Food
Stamp/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Receipt
in the Past
12 Months for Households: 2008 American Community Survey (PDF - 204K,
3 pages)
Issued September 2009
This report presents data on the food stamp/Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at the national and state levels based on
the 2008 ACS.
On October 1, 2008, the federal Food Stamp Program was renamed
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
America’s
Families and Living Arrangements: 2007
Population Characteristics
(PDF - 967K, 21 pages)
Issued September 2009
Selected highlights:
•
68% of households in 2007 were family households, compared with 81 percent in
1970.
• The proportion of one-person households increased by 10 percentage
points between 1970 and 2007, from 17 percent to 27 percent.
• Between
1970 and 2007, the average number of people per household declined from 3.1 to
2.6.
• Most family groups with children under 18 (67 percent) were maintained
by married couples.
Poverty:
2007 and 2008
American Community Surveys (PDF - 234K, 4 pages)
Issued
September 2009
This report provides comparisons at the national and state levels
for poverty during the 2007 to 2008 time period. This report is one of a series
produced to highlight results from the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS), focusing
on changes between the 2007 ACS and the 2008 ACS. The report series is designed
to cover a variety of economic topics, such as poverty, occupation, home values,
and labor force participation. This series provides information about the changing
economic characteristics of the nation and states, the District of Columbia, and
Puerto Rico. The ACS also provides detailed estimates of demographic, social,
economic, and housing characteristics for congressional districts, counties, places,
and other localities every year. A description of the ACS is provided in the text
box “What Is the American Community Survey?”.
Median
Household Income for States: 2007 and 2008
American Community Surveys
(PDF - 208K, 4 pages)
Issued September 2009
This report is one of a series
produced to highlight results from the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS), focusing
on changes between the 2007 ACS and the 2008 ACS. The report series is designed
to cover a variety of economic topics, such as poverty, occupation, home values,
and labor force participation. This series provides information about the changing
economic characteristics of the nation and states, the District of Columbia, and
Puerto Rico. The ACS also provides detailed estimates of demographic, social,
economic, and housing characteristics for congressional districts, counties, places,
and other localities every year. A description of the ACS is provided in the text
box “What Is the American Community Survey?”
This report presents
data on household income at the national and state levels based on the 2007 ACS
and 2008 ACS.
Source of data for the
four reports above:
American Community
Survey (ACS)
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey
designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing. It is a
critical element in the Census Bureau's reengineered decennial census program.
The ACS collects and produces population and housing information every year instead
of every ten years.
[ U.S. Census Bureau
]
-----------------------------------------------
| NOTE:
For links to more info about poverty measures and poverty measurement in the U.S.,
go to the Poverty Measures - International Resources page of this site: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm |
From the U.S. Dept of Agriculture:
Household
Food Security in the United States, 2008
By Mark Nord, Margaret
Andrews, and Steven Carlson
November 16, 2009
By Mark Nord, Margaret Andrews,
and Steven Carlson
Eighty-five percent of American households were food secure
throughout the entire year in 2008, meaning that they had access at all times
to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining
households (14.6 percent) were food insecure at least some time during the year,
including 5.7 percent with very low food security—meaning that the food intake
of one or more household members was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted
at times during the year because the household lacked money and other resources
for food.
USDA
Report reveals highest rate of food insecurity since report was initiated in 1995
Economic Research Service Report Demonstrates Need for Action
News
Release
WASHINGTON, November 16, 2009
Summary of the report (HTML)
Complete
report (PDF - 403K, 66 pages)
November 2009
Download the complete
report in one PDF file, or see the table
of contents and download individual sections of the report (also in PDF format)
Table
of contents:
* Abstract, Contents, and Summary
* Introduction
* Household
Food Security
* Household Spending on Food
* Use of Federal and Community
Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs
* References
* Appendix A—Household
Responses to Questions in the Food Security Scale
* Appendix B—Background
on the U.S. Food Security Measurement Project
* Appendix C—USDA’s
Thrifty Food Plan
* Appendix D—Food Security During 30 Days Prior to
the Food Security Survey
[ USDA
Briefing Room: Food Security in the United States ]
[ Food
Security in the United States: Recommended Readings - includes links to previous
food security annual reports and technical reports]
Source:
Household
Food Security in the United States
[ Economic
Research Service ]
[ U.S.
Dept of Agriculture ]
Related links:
America's
economic pain brings hunger pangs
USDA report on access to food 'unsettling,'
Obama says
By Amy Goldstein
November 17, 2009
The nation's economic
crisis has catapulted the number of Americans who lack enough food to the highest
level since the government has been keeping track, according to a new federal
report, which shows that nearly 50 million people -- including almost one child
in four -- struggled last year to get enough to eat. At
a time when rising poverty, widespread unemployment and other effects of the recession
have been well documented, the report released Monday by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture provides the government's first detailed portrait of the toll that
the faltering economy has taken on Americans' access to food
Source:
Washington
Post
Also found on
the USDA website:
A
Comparison of Household Food Security in Canada and the United States
By
Mark Nord and Heather Hopwood
December 2008
Report
summary (HTML)
Complete
report (PDF - 917K, 50 pages)
December 2008
____________________________
|
|
Related links from the Census Bureau: Income
Statistics, 2008 Poverty
Statistics, 2008 - incl. highlights, graphs and tables Health
insurance coverage data, 2008 - incl. highlights,
graphs and tables
Google Search Results Links - always current results!
Related links - Analysis: Last
Year’s Poverty Rate Was Highest in 12 Years --- Children's
Defense Fund Statement on --- Statement:
Greenstein on Census’ 2008 Health Insurance and Poverty Data --- New
2008 poverty, income data reveal only tip of the recession iceberg --- Declining
health care coverage: the worst is yet to come --- Stimulus Keeping 6 Million Americans Out Of Poverty
In 2009, Estimates Show View the full statement:
Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Household
Income Rises, Poverty Rate Unchanged, Meanwhile, the nation’s official poverty rate in 2007 was 12.5 percent, not statistically different from 2006. There were 37.3 million people in poverty in 2007, up from 36.5 million in 2006. The number of people without health insurance coverage declined from 47 million (15.8 percent) in 2006 to 45.7 million (15.3 percent) in 2007. These findings are contained in the report Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007 (PDF - 2.9MB, 84 pages). The data were compiled from information collected in the 2008 Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC). Also released today were income, poverty and earnings data from the 2007 American Community Survey (ACS) for all states and congressional districts, as well as for metropolitan areas, counties, cities and American Indian/Alaska Native areas of 65,000 population or more. Complete report:
----------------------- Related reports from the Census Bureau: Income
Statistics - includes links to all stats sources mentioned in
the above news release and more Poverty
Statistics - incl. highlights, graphs and tables Health
insurance coverage data - incl. highlights,
graphs and tables ----------------------- Related links: Examining
new Census data on poverty, income and health coverage Median
income rose as did poverty in 2007 Also from EPI: Overall
health insurance coverage rises, but masks decline in private coverage ----------------------- Related Web/News/Blog links: Google Search Results Links - always current results! |
Dynamics
of economic well-being : Poverty 1996-1999 (PDF file - 75K, 12 pages)
July 2003
Washington
Current population reports, n° P70-91
"This
report describes patterns of poverty using measures with different time horizons
and provides a dynamic view of the duration of poverty spells and the frequency
of transitions into and out of poverty. It further examines how poverty dynamics
vary across demographic groups. Data for this analysis were collected in the 1996
panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP),the latest completed
panel of the SIPP, and reflect the dynamics of poverty from January 1996 to December
1999."
Source : U.S. Census Bureau
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Population
Profile of the United States: 2000
"The Population Profile
of the United States: 2000 is the first Internet-only version of this US Census
Bureau product. It includes data from surveys conducted in the year 2000 and earlier,
as well as some limited Census 2000 data. This report attempts to provide the
public with updated information in the years in which a printed version has not
been issued. Chapters include population dynamics, households and housing, social
characteristics, household economics, and the facets of diversity. Primary sources
for this report come from the Census Bureau's Decennial Census of Population and
Housing, the Current Population Survey (CPS), the Survey of Income and Program
Participation (SIPP), and the American Housing Survey (AHS)."
Site Review by:
The Scout Report, Copyright
Internet Scout Project 1994-2002 (February 22, 2002 Issue)
Latest US Economic Indicators - 14 indicators, including Household Income 2000 and Poverty 2000
Census
2000 Supplementary Survey (C2SS)
American
FactFinder
The US Census has released the Census 2000 Supplementary
Survey (C2SS) data, the "most comprehensive and detailed data on American
families in 64 cities across the country today." The C2SS is the largest
survey the Census Bureau has ever conducted aside from the decenniel census. The
data are drawn from a monthly sample of 2,000 households, chosen on a rotating
basis from 58,000 households in 1,203 counties, as well as households in 36 ACS
test counties. The data are available at the American FactFinder site (first discussed
in the April 2, 1999 _Scout Report_), and operational information, narrative and
tabular profiles for all summary levels and rankings at the state, county, and
place levels also may be found at the C2SS site.
Reviewed by The
Scout Report, (Nov. 30, 2001)
Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001
Census
2000 Data Access and Use
This private company
website presents US Census data and related material. Updated weekly, the Website
focuses on news about Census data releases; descriptions of Census 2000 data products;
linkage of Census 2000 data with data from other decennial programs, most notably
the 1990 census and other federal statistical data; Census 2000 data access issues
in other federal agencies; and methodological resources and information concerning
Census data and use.
- Reviewed by the Scout
Report for Social Sciences
The
Changing Shape of the Nation's Income Distribution, 1947-98
Are the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer?
Issued June 2000
- click above for
links to text, figures and tables
See, for example...
Figure
1. Change in Income Inequality for Families: 1947-1998
Complete
report (PDF file - 227K, 11 pages)
Poverty
in the United States: 1999
Issued September
2000
Press
Release (September 26, 2000)
Press
Briefing
Click on the title of the report (above)
for links to the text, graphs and related information, or...
Complete
report (PDF file - 6.5MB, 88 pages)
Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) Homelessness
HUD
REPORTS DROP IN THE NUMBER OF CHRONICALLY HOMELESS PERSONS The
Third Annual Homeless Assessment Earlier related reports - includes the first two homelessness reports and over a dozen related reports Overview of HUD Homeless and Housing Programs Source: ----- Related
links from the July
31 Poverty Dispatch: *Drop
in homeless count seen as 'success story' * U.S.
reports drop in homeless population |
The US Social Statistics Briefing Room (Crime Statistics - Demographic Statistics [incl. population, income, poverty] - Education Statistics - Health Statistics)
Minimum Wages in the
U.S.
- Federal
- $5.15 since Sept. 1, 1997
- Minimum
Wage Laws in the States (clickable map for all U.S. territories, showing which
states use lower, higher or the same minimum wage levels as the federal amount)
Source : U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Federal Minimum Wage Congress
passes increase in the minimum wage Congress
OKs raise for minimum-wage workers A
long-overdue raise for millions (Editorial) Minimum
wage increase was long overdue (Opinion) Source: Related links: Federal
Minimum Wage Rates, 1955–2006 Related Web/News/Blog links: Google Search Results
Links - always current results! |
A
Profile of the Working Poor, 2003 (PDF file
- 75K, 14 pages)
March 2005
Released April 4, 2005
"In 2003, 35.9
million people, 12.5 percent of the population, lived at or below the official
poverty threshold—1.3 million more than in 2002. Although the Nation’s
poor were primarily children and adults who were not in the labor force, 1 in
every 5, or 7.4 million individuals, were classified as “working poor.”
This level was about the same as in 2002. The working poor are those who spent
at least 27 weeks in the labor force (working or looking for work), but whose
incomes fell below the official poverty threshold. The working-poor rate—the
ratio of the working poor to all individuals in the labor force for at least 27
weeks—was 5.3 percent, unchanged from the rate reported in 2002."
Source:
U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
[ U.S. Department
of Labor ]
Also from the Bureau of Statistics:
Characteristics
of Minimum Wage Workers: 2004
April 5, 2005
- incl. 10 tables
with characteristics of minimum wage workers in 2004 ("Employed wage and
salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal
minimum wage, 2004 annual averages: 1. by selected characteristics 2. by census
region and division 3. by State 4. by major occupation group 5. by major industry
group 6. by educational attainment 7. by age and sex 8. by marital status, age,
and sex 9. by usual hours worked per week 10. by sex (1979-2004 annual averages)
Employment
& Unemployment - National Employment • National Unemployment Rate
• State and Local Employment • State and Local Unemployment Rates •
Mass Layoffs • Employment Projections • Job Openings and Labor Turnover
• Employment by Occupation • Longitudinal Studies • State and County
Employment • Time Use • Business Employment Dynamics • Employment
Research Also includes Latest Numbers : CPI - Unemployment Rate - Payroll Employment - Average Hourly Earnings - PPI - ECI - Productivity - U.S. Import Price Index
Related
Links: go to the Social Statistics Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/stats.htm |
House
Adopts Higher Minimum Wage, $310 Billion in Tax Cuts
July 29, 2006
"The
House voted to boost the minimum wage for the first time since 1997 in Republican-backed
legislation that also cuts $310 billion in taxes, largely by reducing a levy on
multimillion-dollar estates. The minimum wage increase, and the inclusion of $38
billion in tax cuts that many Democrats support, were described by some Republicans
as a bid to attract votes for the estate tax legislation when it reaches the Senate,
where it has been rejected twice in the last month."
Source:
Bloomberg
("
Bloomberg is the leading global provider of data, news and analytics.")
NOTE: if passed by the U.S. Senate, the House measure would boost the federal minimum wage, now at $5.15 an hour, to $7.25 by June 1, 2009. Over 80% of the US population supports a minimum wage increase, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll.
“Workers
Win” with Labor Department’s New Overtime Rules
FairPay Initiative
Guarantees Overtime Rights for Millions of Workers
April 20, 2004
"WASHINGTON—U.S.
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced the final regulations governing
overtime eligibility for “white-collar” workers under the Fair Labor
Standards Act. The regulations had not been substantially updated for over 50
years, creating confusion for workers and employers, generating wasteful class
action litigation, and failing to effectively protect workers’ pay rights.'Today,
workers win. The department’s new rules guarantee and strengthen overtime
rights for more American workers than ever before,'said Secretary Chao."
Source:
FairPay
Overtime Initiative
- incl. links to : Wage and Hour Division Home - FairPay
Resources (Preamble, Regulations, Economic Report, Side-by-Side, Online Training,
Seminar Download, FAQs, Amicus Program, Model Policy) -
FairPay Fact Sheets
(By Exemption, By Occupation) - Enforcement (File A Complaint, Statistics) - Contact
Us
[ part of the Wage and Hour Division
]
[ part of the Employment Standards Administration
]
[ part of the U.S. Department of
Labour ]
Google.ca Web Search Results: "FairPay
Overtime Initiative"
Google.ca News Search Results: "FairPay
Overtime Initiative"
Source:
Google.ca
From the the Economic Policy Institute (EPI): Overtime
Rights and Recent EPI work on Overtime Issues Related Links: Overtime
law clarification is hard to figure |
A
profile of the working poor, 2001 (PDF file - 330K, 20 pages)
Washington
June
2003
"In 2001, 32.9 million people, or 11.7 percent of the population,
lived at or below the official poverty level. This was an increase of 1.3 million
from 2000. Most of the poor were children, or adults who had not participated
in the labor force during the year. However, about 6.8 million were in the labor
force for 27 weeks or more during the year. These persons were classified as the
working poor, and represented 4.9 percent of all persons who were in the labor
force for 27 weeks or more. The ranks of the working poor increased by 319,000
(0.2
percentage point) from the previous year."
Source:
Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS)
[ U.S. Department
of Labor ]
NOTE: the BLS is the American equivalent
to Statistics Canada.
This site contains myriad U.S. statistics covering a wide range of topics, including
: Inflation & Consumer Spending - Wages, Earnings, & Benefits - Productivity
- Safety & Health - International - Occupations - Demographics - and more...
(but
nothing specific about poverty or welfare)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Household
Food Security in the United States, 2002
October 2003
Food Assistance
and Nutrition Research Report
"Eighty-nine percent of American households
were food secure throughout the entire year 2002, meaning that they had access,
at all times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members.
The remaining households were food insecure at least some time during that year.
The prevalence of food insecurity rose from 10.7 percent in 2001 to 11.1 percent
in 2002, and the prevalence of food insecurity with hunger rose from 3.3 percent
to 3.5 percent. This report is based on data from the December 2002 food security
survey."
Summary
of Study Findings (PDF file - 73K, 2 pages)
Table
of contents + links to all chapters and appendices
Complete
report (PDF file - 421K, 58 pages)
Source:
Economic
Research Service
Related Links - see to the Canadian Social Research Links Food Banks and Hunger page
Mystifying
Data: Can America's Promise Get Away with It?
July
1999
From Energize,
Inc. - "especially for leaders of volunteers"
Source
: Office of International Information Programs
(IIP)
(formerly the Information Bureau of the United States Information
Agency)
What's
New - Government Resources on the Web - links to
almost 600 resources added to the University of Michigan's Documents Center since
January 2002
Source : University
of Michigan Documents Center
Washington
File
The Washington File provides United States
Government official texts, policy statements and interpretive material, features,
and byline articles prepared daily by the U.S Department of State, International
Information Programs.
Source : U.S.
Department of State
Social Security Administration Home Page - "The Official Web Site of the Social Security Administration"
US
Totalization Agreement with Canada*
Social Security Administration
(Last revised January 2000)
Canada-US
reciprocal social security agreement
*Includes
brief descriptions of the various types of Social Security benefits payable
under the US and Canadian Social Security systems and briefly describes the eligibility
requirements for each. Also includes links to more information from the US and
Canada
Social
Security Handbook- Your Basic Guide to the Social Security Programs
What programs are included under the Social Security Act and
related laws?
The following programs are included:
A.Retirement
insurance;
B.Survivors insurance;
C.Disability insurance;
D.Hospital
and medical insurance for the aged, the disabled, and those with end-stage renal
disease;
E.Black lung benefits;
F.Supplemental security income;
G.Unemployment
insurance; and
H.Public assistance and welfare services, including:
- Aid to needy families with children;
- Medical assistance;
- Maternal
and child health services;
- Child support enforcement;
- Family and child
welfare services;
- Food stamps; and
- Energy assistance
Social
Security Online’s new name and look reinforce the Agency’s commitment
to providing everyone with choices in ways of conducting business with SSA. Social
Security Online continues to offer a variety of online services that allow people
to access information and conduct business with SSA from the convenience of their
computers at any time.
Some examples are:
Benefits
Planner – The online Benefits Planner contains a Retirement Planner,
Disability Planner and Survivors Planner with valuable information about retirement,
disability and survivors benefits and factors that can affect them.
Social
Security eNews – eNews is an electronic newsletter available free
to subscribers through SSA’s Internet site.
Benefit
Eligibility Screening Tool (B.E.S.T.) – B.E.S.T. is a tool that anyone
can use to find out if they may be eligible for benefits from any of the programs
that SSA administers.
Business
Services Online (BSO) – BSO consists of a suite of services to help
companies to conduct business with SSA.
Social
Security Online For Women – For Women provides basic Social Security
program information on retirement, survivors, disability and SSI benefits pertinent
to women.
Multilanguage
Gateway – A site providing information online in 15 different languages,
including useful information about Social Security programs and SSA’s interpreter
service.
The Work Site
– The site contains important information and support for disability beneficiaries,
employers, service providers, advocates and others whose goal is to help those
persons with disabilities work.
Seguro
Social en Español – A comprehensive site providing valuable
Social Security information and services all in Spanish.
The
Kids Pages – Social Security’s Kids & Family site is designed
specifically for young children, teens and their parents and teachers, providing
interactive games and tools to help them learn about Social Security.
History
Page – It would be hard to find in one location a more complete history
of SSA and the programs it administers."
Social
Security Programs Throughout the World: The Americas, 2005
Released
March 2006
"These reports, which provide a cross-national
comparison of the social security systems in more than 170 countries, summarize
the five main social insurance programs in those countries: old-age, disability,
and survivors; sickness and maternity; work injury; unemployment; and family allowances.
They are published in four regional volumes (Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Africa,
and the Americas), one every 6 months. Together, the reports provide important
information for researchers and policymakers who are reviewing different ways
of approaching social security challenges and adapting the systems to the evolving
needs of individuals, households, and families."
- includes links to
36 Country Summaries from Antigua and Barbuda to Venezuela, showing the
following info for each country:
* Types of social
security programs * Types of mandatory systems for retirement income * Demographic
and other statistics related to social security, 2005 * Contribution rates for
social security programs, 2005
NOTE: scroll to the bottom of the
title page for links to other reports in this series, either for other parts
of the world or for earlier years.
Two
country reports of particular interest for 2005, in HTML format:
- Canada
- United
States
NOTE: all of the country reports are also available in PDF format.
Source:
Office
of Policy
[ Social Security Online -
U.S. Government]
Social
Security Programs Throughout the World: The Americas, 2003
(released
March 2004)
"This publication provides a cross-national comparison of
the social security systems in 172 countries.
It summarizes the five main social
insurance programs in those countries: old-age, disability, and survivors;
sickness and maternity; work injury; unemployment; and family allowances.
This report is now published in four regional volumes : Europe, Asia and the Pacific,
Africa, and the Americas. The 1999 edition of this report (see the link below)
contains all country reports in one volume.
- click the link above for links
to reports for 35 countries throughout the Americas, from Antigua and Barbuda
to Venezuela
Two country reports of particular interest:
Canada
United
States
Other Editions of Social Security
Programs Throughout the World
o Europe,
2002 (released September 2002)
o Asia
and the Pacific, 2002 (released March 2003)
o Africa,
2003 (released September 2003)
o Social
Security Programs Throughout the World, 1999 (released August 1999)
Social
Security Administration Fiscal Year 2004 Budget
"The President’s
$535 billion budget for the Social Security Administration (SSA) reflects the
Administration’s commitment to the programs that SSA administers. These include
Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) financed by the Social
Security trust funds, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) funded from
general revenues. The budget request supports the Agency’s mission of promoting
the economic security of the nation’s people."
2002
Red Book on Employment Support - U.S.
"A
Summary Guide to Employment Support available to People with Disabilities under
the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income Programs"
Source
: The Work Site (U.S. Social
Security Administration)
Other Social Security Pages:
Administration
on Aging (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services)
Public
Agenda Online - excellent overview of all sides of the issue!
Social
Security Network
National Committee to
Preserve Social Security and Medicare
Center
for Economic and Policy Research
Economic
Policy Institute
And the view from the social/fiscal conservatives:
Heritage
Foundation
Social
Security, Choice and Reform - a project of the Cato Institute
Social
Security Online - Disability Programs
"Social Security
has two programs that pay benefits to people with disabilities:
- Social
Security Disability Insurance pays benefits to you and certain members of
your family if you are "insured" meaning that you worked long enough
and paid Social Security taxes;
- Supplemental
Security Income pays benefits based on financial need."
Source
: Social Security Online
Employment
Support for People with Disabilities (U.S. Social Security Administration)
The mission of the Office of Employment Support Programs Mission is to promote
the employment of Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities
by...
- Designing policies that make work pay.
- Promoting research and program
innovation.
- Educating the public about programs and services that facilitate
entry into the workforce.
- Partnering with other public and private groups
to remove employment barriers for people with disabilities."
Includes
links to : Youth With Disabilities | Employers | Beneficiaries | Service Providers
| Advocates | About Us | What's New | Questions & Help | Search | Events|
Resources Toolkit | Ticket To Work
- Go to Social
Security Online (Official Website of the Social Security Administration)
Related (Canadian) Link :
Employability
Assistance For People with Disabilities (EAPD) - Human Resources Development
Canada (HRDC)
Source : HRDC
Office for Disability Issues
Nutrition
Assistance Programs
- incl. links to : The Food Stamp Program - Child
Nutrition - Team Nutrition - Women, Infants and Children Program / Farmers' Market
- Food Distribution
Source : U.S.
Dept. of agriculture Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services
Commission
for Labor Cooperation (Washington)
"The Commission for Labor Cooperation
is an international organization created under the North American Agreement on
Labor Cooperation (NAALC). The NAALC is the first agreement, and the Commission
is the first organization, linking labor rights and labor standards to an international
trade agreement."
Income
Security Programs for Workers in North America
A Reference Manual for Workers and Employers
"...summarizes
the main income support programs for workers in the private sector under the laws
of Canada, Mexico and the United States. The manual's objective is to provide
employees and employers with basic information regarding the main income
security programs for workers provided in their respective countries."
-
incl. info about : Temporary Income Support for Unemployed Workers - Injuries
at Work and Job-related Illness - Maternity Leave and Sickness Unrelated to the
Job - Wages and Salaries - Income Support Programs for Low-income Groups or Disabled
Workers - Income Tax Credits and Other Tax Deductions
NOTE: don't bother looking
here for a comparison of North American welfare systems --- Canadian social assistance
and the National Child Benefit are described in section 5 ("Income Support
Programs for Low-income Groups or Disabled Workers"), but Temporary Assistance
for Families with Dependent Children (TANF), the U.S. welfare system is only mentioned
in terms of eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid and the Mexican section covers
only some emergency food and health programs.
NAALC
AND NAFTA LINKS
Close to 150 links to Canadian, American and Mexican
sites about the
North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation and the
North American Free Trade Agreement
- links incl. NAALC Members [Labor
Departments] - National Administrative Offices - Labor Legislation - Official
Statistical Resources - Federal Government Resources - NAFTA Institutions - NAFTA
Resources - Statistical Sources - Trade and Treaty Resources - Multilateral Organizations
[Americas / International] - Non-Governmental Organizations - Research Centers
and Institutes - Labor Relations Boards - Labor Federations - Employers' Associations
2003
Fiscal Survey of the States (PDF file - 433K, 58 pages)
August
2003
The National Association of State Budget Officers' report on state
revenues, expenditures, total balances, and projections for 2004
"As
the economy struggles to find footing, state fiscal conditions remain uncertain.
With two years of budget imbalance behind them, the state fiscal story is much
the same: revenues have fallen dramatically while spending pressure has grown,
particularly in Medicaid. To address this, governors’ 2004 budget proposals
reflect the use of spending reductions, revenue
increases, reserve funds and
other measures proportionately."
Source: National
Association of State Budget Officers
...................................................................................................................
The
Fiscal Survey of States (PDF file - 280K, 68 pages)
November 2002
"Nearly every state is in fiscal crisis. Amid a
slowing growing national economy, state revenues have shrunk at the same time
that spending pressures are mounting----particularly for Medicaid and other healthcare----creating
massive budget shortfalls. As states fight to balance their budgets, the solutions
available to them are increasingly dire, and some of the most difficult fiscal
decisions have yet to be made."
Related Links:
National
Association of State Budget Officers
National
Governors Association
Key
State Issues - Children and Families
Key
State Issues - Welfare Reform - Overview and focus of center activities
- Welfare
Reform - NGA's Position
- HR-36
Implementation of Welfare Reform Policy (check this
one first - it's got the most information...)
State
Welfare Websites
Links to Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF), welfare-to-work and welfare-related workforce state
sites.
Source : National Governors Association
HHS
Releases Data Showing Continuing Decline in Number of People Receiving Temporary
Assistance Related Link: Falling
TANF Caseloads Amidst Rising Poverty Should Be A Cause Of Concern, |
An
Aging World: 2001 (PDF file - 3973K, 190 pages)
- U.S.
November 2001
This new 190-page release from the Census Bureau
and the National Institute of Aging (NIA) presents comparative data related to
aging, including population and projected population internationally, life expectancy,
retirement, health information, and social support. The report was, in part, inspired
by a review from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that argued for an international
focus on aging as an aid to policymakers worldwide. The main body of the report
is broken into eleven chapters, covering topics ranging from urban versus rural
populations to marital status to income security. Appendices include detailed
tables, references, an international comparison of urban versus rural definitions,
and sources and limitations of the data.
Reviewed by : Scout
Report
Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001
- Go to the National
Institute of Aging (NIA)
Portals
to the World
"Presented by the Library of Congress, Portals
to the World is an electronic database containing selective links that provide
information on the various nations and other areas of the world. Countries are
arranged alphabetically and contain links sorted in areas such as General Resources,
Government and Law, Literature and Culture, News and Current Events, Libraries,
Business and Residential Directories, and much more. Although in a nascent stage,
the site provides a vast amount of links for each listed country. When completed,
the project intends to have all the nations of the world included on its Web page."
Reviewed by The Scout Report, Copyright Internet
Scout Project 1994-2001.
Related Links :
Library
of Congress
Large site - see the sitemap
for an overview of the rich content here - hundreds of links!
Collections and Services
International Resources
Includes :
Gateways
to the World - The Library's 21 reading rooms provide
access to international collections.
Special
International Guides - A variety of online products created by the Library
of Congress.
See also:
Nations of the World
- from the Law
Library of Congress
U.S.
Consumer Price Indexes Page
Source : Bureau
of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
Library
of Congress
Large site - see the sitemap
for an overview of the rich content here - hundreds of links!
Collections and Services
International Resources
Includes :
Gateways
to the World - The Library's 21 reading rooms provide
access to international collections.
Special
International Guides - A variety of online products created by the Library
of Congress.
Portals
to the World - Links to electronic resources selected by Library of Congress
subject experts.
See also:
Nations of the World
- from the Law
Library of Congress
President's
Commission to Strengthen Social Security
On
May 2, President Bush announced establishment of a bipartisan, 16-member Commission
"to study and report … specific recommendations to preserve Social Security for
seniors while building wealth for younger Americans." (...) Public hearings began
on June 11. An interim report, describing the challenges facing the Social Security
system, will be followed by a final report this fall with specific reform recommendations.
An Evaluation: Wisconsin Works
(W-2) Program
April 2001
Department
of Workforce Development, State of Wisconsin
Complete
report (PDF file - 756K, 221 pages)
Press
release
Last week, the Legislative Audit Bureau
of Wisconsin issued a 221-page report evaluating the success of the state's high
profile welfare reform program, Wisconsin Works (a.k.a. W-2). The report finds
that, despite the fact the state spent more money on the program in its first
three years than in previous years on the old AFDC system, only a small minority
have found jobs that pay more than poverty wages. The evaluation offers comprehensive
data on the program's expenditures and effectiveness, both in terms of welfare
caseloads, employment, and income of participants.
Reviewed
by the Scout Report for Social Sciences
Welfare
Reform Resources
Links to welfare reform information
from 18 different sources, from the federal and state governments to non-governmental
organizations.
Source: Program
in Labor Studies (George Washington University - Washington, DC)
-
see also Child Care Resources
Welfare Reform Tracking Issues
"State tracking
studies provide information concerning critical questions about what is happening
to the large number of families leaving welfare. While these studies do not provide
the basis for any general conclusions about the success of reforms, they provide
us with the first set of data regarding the effects of welfare reform. They illustrate
both the positive results of welfare reform-more ex-recipients are working; and
the remaining questions-How do we move recipients who are not working into jobs
so they can establish stable support systems for their families?"
Tracking
Recipients after They Leave Welfare (August 1999 article)
Summaries
of individual states studies - links to summaries for 21 states
Source
: National Conference of State Legislatures
Nonmarital
Childbearing in the United States, 1940-99
National
Center for Health Statistics
Complete
report (PDF file, 302K, 39 pages)
Press
Release - October 18, 2000
On October 18, the
National Center for Health Statistics released a new report tracking trends and
patterns in nonmarital births. "Based on data from birth certificates reported
to NCHS through the National Vital Statistics System, the report describes the
level of unmarried childbearing over the past 60 years, by such characteristics
as age, race, and ethnicity of the mother." In line with a plethora of social
data coming out of Washington in the last year showing improvement in crime, teen
pregnancy, test scores, and other longstanding social ills, the report tracks
a 50-year rise in births to unmarried women that has leveled off in the last decade.
Specifically, "after rising dramatically during the half century from 1940 to
1990, out-of-wedlock childbearing leveled off, or slowed its rate of increase,
during the 1990's. Since 1994, the percent of births to unmarried women has remained
stable at about 33 percent."
- Go to the National
Center for Health Statistics NCHS website
- The NCHS
is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Reviewed by the Scout Report
for Social Sciences
The
Effect of Work and Welfare on Living Conditions in Single Parent Households
Population Division
U. S. Bureau of
the Census
August 2000
Recent
changes to programs of income support for the poor have focused attention on how
work requirements and incentives affect earnings and employment of welfare recipients.
The predominant way of thinking of these issues, at least in broader political
discourse, assumes that obtaining work or improving wages are desirable goals
for welfare recipients and their families. However, recent research has begun
to indicate that single parents and their families are not always better off in
the labor force.
- Go to US
Census Bureau website
Poverty
in the United States, 1999 [.pdf, 88 pages]
US
Census Bureau
Press
Release
Highlights
Graphs
The report gives data on poverty rates by selected characteristics
-- age, race, nativity, family composition, work experience, and geography. Findings
reveal that the nation's poverty rate dropped from 12.7 percent in 1998 to 11.8
percent in 1999, the lowest rate since 1979. In addition, "real median household
income reached $40,816, the highest level ever recorded by the Census Bureau."
The report also announces the lowest level of child poverty since 1979 -- 16.9
percent -- and a record low for African-Americans of 23.6 percent. The report
can be examined in full in .pdf format or in selected sections in HTML.
- Reviewed by the Scout Report
for Social Sciences
State
and County QuickFacts
US Census Bureau
This new handy reference resource from the US Census Bureau
allows users to access frequently requested Census Bureau information at the national,
state, and county level. The site is navigated via a pull-down menu or interactive
map, both of which produce tables of facts about the people, businesses, and geography
for that state compared to the country as a whole. Another pull-down menu (or
map) leads to similar information on the county level (compared to the state as
a whole). In addition, each page offers a link to more detailed information from
the Census Bureau, such as income and poverty estimates, economic censuses, county
business profiles, and government finances, among other offerings. Quick facts
for the country as a whole can also be accessed from the main page. All in all,
a useful resource for quick and basic census information.
Reviewed
by the Scout Report for Social Sciences
DisabilityInfo.gov
- U.S.
"DisabilityInfo.gov is a comprehensive online resource
specifically designed to provide people with disabilities with the information
they need to know quickly. With just a few clicks, the portal provides access
to disability-related information and programs available across the government
on numerous subjects, including civil rights, education, employment, housing,
health, income support, technology, transportation, and community life."
- Click on the tabs near the top of the home page to access a wealth of information
on the following themes: Home - Employment - Education - Housing - Transportation
- Health - Income Support Technology - Community Life - Civil Rights.
Sample
content:
Income Support
--- incl. links to further information about : Food Stamps - General - Social
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) - Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Social
Security Work Incentives - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families - Veterans
Benefits - Welfare-To-Work
State
of the Cities (National Urban Policy Report) - U.S. - various
years
- State
of the Cities Data System provides the latest data
on 114 selected cities released as part of State of the Cities report
Source : U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development
AgingStats.Gov
(US) - Web Site of the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics
The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics was
established in the mid-1980s to encourage cooperation and collaboration among
federal agencies to improve the quality and utility of data on the aging population.
The Forum, made up of nine federal agencies that produce or use statistics on
aging, provides these agencies with a venue to discuss data issues and concerns
that cut across agency boundaries; facilitates in development of new databases;
improves mechanisms currently used to disseminate information on aging-related
data; invites researchers to report on cutting-edge analyses of data; and encourages
international collaboration.
Older
Americans 2000: Key Indicators of Well-Being
This
report covers 31 key indicators carefully selected by the Federal Interagency
Forum on Aging-Related Statistics to portray aspects of the lives of older Americans
and their families. The report is divided into five subject areas:
population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health.
Press
Release - August 10, 2000
PDF
version (127 pages, 944K)
National
Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness
-
provides technical assistance, identifies and synthesizes knowledge, and disseminates
information.
- links policy makers, service providers,
researchers, consumers and other interested parties to findings from Federal demonstration
and Knowledge Development and Application (KDA) projects and research on homelessness
and mental illness.
America’s
Children: Key National Indicators of Child Well-being 2000
This
is the fourth report in an annual series prepared by the Interagency Forum on
Child and Family Statistics. A collaborative effort by 20 Federal agencies, the
report presents a wealth of information on a number of indicators of well-being,
including population and familiy characteristics, economic security, health, behaviors
and social environment characteristics, education, and more.
From
the above link, you can either download the report in PDF format (as one large
file or two smaller ones), read the highlights
of the report or go to the HTML
Table of Contents with links to well over 100 tables, texts, source
data and related information.
America's
Children Press Release "Nation's Children Gain In Many Areas :
Childhood Mortality, Teen Birth Rates Drop
July 13,
2000
Source: US
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
USAID (US Agency for
International Development)
USAID is an independent
federal government agency that conducts foreign assistance and humanitarian aid
to advance the political and economic interests of the United States. USAID is
the principal US agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster,
trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.
Gender
Matters - The Gender Website of the US Agency for International Development
National
Center for Education Statistics
"The primary
federal entity for collecting and analysing data that are related to education
in the United States and other nations"
See the NCES
Site Map for an overview of this large site that is rich in content. Here's a
sample...
Longitudinal Surveys :
- High School
and Beyond
- National
Ed Longitudinal Study, 1988
- National
Longitudinal Study, HS Class of 72
- Early
Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) Program
"The
ECLS Program has both descriptive and analytic purposes. The descriptive
purposes are to provide national data on (1) children's status at birth and at
various points thereafter; (2) children's transitions to nonparental care, early
education programs, and school; and (3) children's experiences and growth through
the fifth grade. The analytic purpose of the program is to provide data
to test hypotheses about the effects of a wide range of family, school, community,
and individual variables on children's development, early learning, and early
performance in school."
The
Condition of Education, 2002
June 2002
"The
2002 edition of the Condition of Education report has recently been released by
the US Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Produced annually, the report highlights significant educational developments
and progress made within the past year. This year’s report is available in
Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) and contains 44 indicators in six main areas: enrollment
trends and student characteristics; student achievement and the longer term, enduring
effects of education; student effort and rates of progress among different population
groups; the quality of elementary and secondary education; the context of post-secondary
education; and societal support for learning. Additionally, this report also provides
analysis on the environment, climate, student outcomes at private schools, and
the enrollment and persistence of nontraditional undergraduates. For anyone interested
in education and its future, the report can be viewed in its entirety or by individual
sections."
Reviewed by The Scout
Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001
Related Links:
National
Center for Education Statistics
U.S.
Department of Education
Poverty
Guidelines, Research, and Measurement
- incl.
links to HHS Poverty Guidelines for 1996 to 2000
- also includes links to The Institute for Research on Poverty
at the University of Wisconsin and The Joint Center for Poverty Research of Northwestern
University and the University of Chicago.
Welfare
in a Society of Permanent Work (PDF file - 59 pages, 150K)
Ron
Haskins
Committee on Ways and Means
US
House of Representatives
December 3, 1999
Excellent
paper on American welfare reforms since the mid-nineties, with detailed information
on every facet of those reforms from AFDC to TANF - incl. 19 tables and figures
(e.g., graph showing the AFDC/TANF Caseload, 1959-1999)
Source:
Joint Center for Poverty Research
Measuring
Poverty — A New Approach (Policy Briefs, Vol.1; No.6 - undated, but posted
since October 1999)
Barriers
to the Employment of Welfare Recipients - February 2000 (read the abstract,
then download the PDF file - 37 pages, 90K)
Number
of families on welfare in the United States - Move your cursor over states
on the map to see Number of families on welfare in Sept. 1998 and the Percentage
reduction in welfare dependency from Jan. 1993 to Sept. 1998. [Don't click
on the map, though - the links to states' websites are broken]
New York State Department of Family Assistance
US
Welfare Caseloads Information - from the Administration
for Children and Families
- incl. State by State
Welfare Caseloads from 1993 to March 1999 (recipients and families) - Percentage
of the US Population on Welfare By Year Since 1960 - Recipients and Families 1936-1999
- Caseload Comparison since the signing of the Welfare Law: Aug. 1996 vs. March
1999 --- and more.
America’s
Children: Key National Indicators of Well-being, 1999 (July 1999)
This
is the third annual report to the Nation on the condition of American children.
Included are six contextual measures that describe the changing population and
family context in which children are living, and 23 indicators of well-being in
the areas of economic security, health, behavior and social environment, and education.
Scroll to the bottom of the main page for links to similar reports for 1998 and
1997.
US Administration on Aging
In order to serve a growing senior population, AoA envisions ensuring the continuation
of a vibrant aging services network at State, Territory, local and Tribal levels
through funding of lower-cost, non-medical services and supports that provide
the means by which many more seniors can maintain their independence. The mission
of AoA is to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and cost-effective system
of home and community-based services that helps elderly individuals maintain
their health and independence in their homes and communities.
Aging
Statistics
From the Administration on Aging
Social Security Administration Home Page - "The Official Web Site of the Social Security Administration"
US
Totalization Agreement with Canada*
Social
Security Administration
(Last revised January
2000)
Canada-US reciprocal social security agreement
*Includes brief descriptions of the various types
of Social Security benefits payable under the US and Canadian Social Security
systems and briefly describes the eligibility requirements for each. Also includes
links to more information from the US and Canada
PRESIDENT
CLINTON ANNOUNCES WELFARE TO WORK PROGRAMS
New
Steps To Help Fathers Support Their Children And Families
Presidential
Hall, Old Executive Office Building
January 25, 1999
U.S.
Census Bureau Poverty Statistics
Including:
Poverty in the United States: 1996
Poverty
Measurement
Low Income Uninsured Children by State
Detailed Historical Tables from the Current Population Survey:
1959-1996
Poverty Thresholds
HHS
Poverty Guidelines
Census Historical Poverty Tables:
1959-1989
Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
Poverty
Statistics
U.S.
Welfare Caseloads Information - from the Administration
for Children and Families
- incl. State by State
Welfare Caseloads from 1993 to March 1999 (recipients and families) - Percentage
of the US Population on Welfare By Year Since 1960 - Recipients and Families 1936-1999
- Caseload Comparison since the signing of the Welfare Law: Aug. 1996 vs. March
1999 --- and more.
Related Canadian Social Research Links pages:
American
Non-Government Social Research Links (A-J)
American Non-Government Social Research
Links (M-Z)
Poverty
Measures
Children and Families
- International
Social Research
Statistics
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Site
created and maintained by:
Gilles
Séguin(This link takes you to my personal page)
