Breadcrumb
- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-being, 2012
Prepared by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, “America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012” highlights 14 key indicators on important aspects of children’s lives across seven domains:
- Family and social environment
- Economic circumstances
- Health care
- Physical environment and safety
- Behavior
- Education
- Health
Guidance to Improve Educational Outcomes of Children and Youth in Foster Care
This guidance, released by the Department of Education, provides states with information to implement the Uninterrupted Scholars Act, making it easier for caseworkers, child welfare agencies, and tribal organizations responsible for the placement and care of children and youth in foster care to have direct access to their education records.
Joint Letter: Supporting the Well-being of Students in Foster Care
Released by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, this joint letter to education authorities discusses increasing educational stability for children and youth in foster care.
National Academies Board on Children, Youth, and Families
The Board on Children, Youth, and Families (BCYF) addresses a variety of policy-relevant issues related to the health and development of children, youth, and families. It does so by convening experts to weigh in on matters from the perspective of the behavioral, social, and health sciences.
Quality Education Services Are Critical for Youth Involved With the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems
In May 2010, the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University released the monograph ”Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems” (PDF, 74 pages), which examines a number of topics relevant to the education and experiences of youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. This new practice guide (PDF, 27 pages) developed by NDTAC examines the principle included in the monograph that quality education services are critical for youth involved with the juvenile justice and child welfare systems, and offers a range of practices and strategies that juvenile justice, child welfare, and education professionals can use to improve education programming and outcomes for youth in their care.
Students in Foster Care
This Department of Education webpage provides information about important laws, guidance, and technical assistance materials related to the educational experience of youth in foster care.
Student Voices Session: Shining a Spotlight on Native Youth in Foster Care
This blog post describes a Student Voices session held at The White House on December 8, 2014. Here, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell, and current and former foster care youth from American Indian and Alaska Native nations discussed the struggles of Native youth. In the post, the author, a public policy specialist and a former foster care youth of Native Hawaiian and American Indian (Blackfeet) descent, also shares her personal experiences and the important role school played in her life.
Selecting Appropriate Pre-Posttests
This tip sheet highlights key questions and areas to consider for Title I, Part D administrators regarding the selection of an appropriate pre-posttest for tracking student progress in reading and mathematics. It focuses on students receiving educational services in juvenile justice and child welfare settings.
Share with Youth: Foster Care Transition Toolkit
This toolkit (PDF, 66 pages) includes tips and resources to help current and former foster youth as they transition to adulthood and pursue college and career opportunities. It provides information on important topics like finding a job, managing money, and securing housing.
Resource: Non-Regulatory Guidance: Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care
This guidance (PDF, 28 pages) provides information to states, school districts, and child welfare agencies on new provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act for supporting children and youth in foster care.
Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy
This “road map” for civic learning outlines the steps that the Department of Education is taking to increase civic learning and engagement. It also outlines directions for advancing civic learning and democratic engagement in schools, with special attention to the federal role and civic learning in higher education.
Archived Webinar: Using Data to Identify Programmatic Interventions
The Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students’ Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center held a webinar on December 14, 2011, “Using Data to Identify Programmatic Interventions.” It covered the need to use school climate data to identify needs, selecting evidence based programs to address these needs, and implementing these programs effectively within a school or district.
National 4-H Headquarters
National 4-H Headquarters, United States Department of Agriculture. 4-H is the largest youth organization in the United States for children and youth ages 5 to 19. Visit the Cooperative Extension Office near you to find a 4-H program in your community
Passport in Time
Passport in Time (PIT) is a volunteer archaeology and historic preservation program of the USDA Forest Service (FS). PIT volunteers work with professional FS archaeologists and historians on national forests throughout the U.S. on such diverse activities as archaeological survey and excavation, rock art restoration, survey, archival research, historic structure restoration, oral history gathering, and analysis and curation of artifacts. FS professional staff of archaeologists and historians serve as hosts, guides, and co-workers.
Students Transforming Schools and Communities
At a policy briefing organized by the Department of Education's Youth Engagement Team, two high school juniors from Baltimore shared how civic engagement has empowered them to advocate for themselves and their peers on issues that impact their daily lives.
Trends Among Young Adults Over Three Decades
The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics' report, “Trends Among Young Adults Over Three Decades, 1974-2006” outlines patterns of change in postsecondary enrollment, labor force roles, family formation, and civic engagement as measured in young adults two years out of high school in 1972, 1980, 1992, and 2004.
Children, Youth, and Families at Risk
This site provides information on the state and community Children, Youth, and Families at Risk programs funded by the National Insitute of Food and Agriculture.
Choice Neighborhoods
The Choice Neighborhoods initiative will transform distressed neighborhoods and public and assisted projects into viable and sustainable mixed-income neighborhoods by linking housing improvements with appropriate services, schools, public assets, transportation, and access to jobs. A strong emphasis will be placed on local community planning for access to high-quality educational opportunities, including early childhood education. In addition to public housing authorities, the initiative will involve local governments, non-profits, and for-profit developers in undertaking comprehensive local planning with residents and the community.
Food and Nutrition Service Faith-Based and Community Organizations
This site provides information about programs and grants that faith and community groups are eligible for within FNS, as well as technical assistance for interested organizations.
Promise Neighborhoods
To address the challenges faced by students living in communities of concentrated poverty, Promise Neighborhoods grantees and their partner organizations will plan to provide services from early learning to college and career, including programs to improve the health, safety, and stability of neighborhoods, and boost family engagement in student learning.
2015 Summer Food Service Program Handbook
The 2015 Summer Food Service Program Handbook (PDF, 207 pages) is now available. This handbook provides guidance and resources to organizations administering summer food programs. New material includes tips on targeting local foods through proper procurement mechanisms. Join one of the many Summer Meals Webinars which will feature resources, technical guidance examples, and best practices that can help make Summer Meals Programs successful.
Another Study Shows Kids Eating More Healthy Food at School, Throwing Less Food Away
A new study published in Childhood Obesity reflects that students are consuming healthier food at school as a result of the updated USDA nutrition standards for school meals.
ChooseMyPlate.gov
Choose my Plate offers personalized eating plans, interactive tools to help you plan and assess your food choices, and advice to help you make better choices.'
During National Nutrition Month, Efforts to Combat Childhood Hunger
In a speech at the 2015 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced an initiative to develop innovative projects to help end childhood hunger, especially in rural areas. These projects will be tested in Kentucky, Nevada, and Virginia, as well as the Chickasaw and Navajo tribal nations. USDA also published a blog post describing the importance of school breakfast programs for student health and success, challenges to student access to meals, and innovative approaches to making sure more children are fed.
Fact Sheet: Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act School Meals Implementation
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was passed in 2010 to help ensure that all children in America have access to the nutrition they need. A goal of the Act is to reduce the childhood obesity epidemic and related health risks by helping schools provide balanced meals to students. This fact sheet provides an overview of the results of the school meals provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and recent actions that support school nutrition programs.