Web Conference Series to Launch in March
Chapin Hall and the National Conference of State
Legislatures are pleased to announce three
new web conferences. A continuation of last
year's popular Charting a Course Web
Conference Series, the programs will explore
research on child and family issues as well
as policy and practice implications.
More program details will be announced soon.
Save the following dates for upcoming web
conferences:
March 27
We will discuss the overlap of families
involved with both child welfare and
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
agencies and explore ideas about how these
systems can work together to better support
the special needs of these families.
May 17
Chapin Hall and NCSL will discuss behavioral
health programs that help identify social and
emotional problems in young children in
schools. Chapin Hall research has shown that
children who participate in such programs had
better attendance, a lower rate of
discipline-related referrals and were less
likely to be held back in a grade than
children at comparison schools.
June 20
We will explore programs that provide jobs for
disadvantaged youth and discuss ideas on how to
encourage employers to hire at-risk youth and
develop a structure to sustain their
employment.
View recordings of last year's Charting a Course web conferences, which explored such issues as youth aging out of foster care and home
visitation programs.
First International Society for Child Indicators Conference: June 26-28
The International Society for Child Indicators and
Chapin Hall present "Child Indicators: Diverse
Approaches to a Shared Goal," a conference taking
place in Chicago on June 26-28. The conference will
explore how child indicators can be used to improve
the development and well-being of the world's
children, and provide an opportunity for all participants
to discuss relevant issues, form networks, share
resources and collaborate.
Learn more about the conference and register online.
Audio Recording: The Nexus of Youth Homelessness and the Child Welfare System
Listen to an audio recording of the
Thursday's Child public policy forum on
February 8 in Washington, D.C. Chapin Hall Senior
Researcher Amy Dworsky spoke about the
characteristics of homeless youth and the
particular risk of homelessness faced by
youth aging out of foster care. Other
panelists discussed policy options to
prevent youth homelessness and independent
living programs that help at-risk youth
successfully transition to adulthood.
Listen to the complete audio recording.
Audio Recording: Changing Demographics of Children in Chicago
During the last 15 years, the geographic
distribution of families with children has
shifted from Chicago's central city to its
outskirts, which has implications for public
and private services. This public policy
forum presented the findings of a new study,
conducted by Chapin Hall for the Chicago
Department of Children
and Youth Services, designed to provide
policy-makers and program planners with
up-to-date information about demographic
patterns and the characteristics of children
and youth. At the program, participants
discussed what these neighborhood changes
mean for organizations providing services to
children across Chicago.
Listen to the complete audio recording.
Read the related report, Chicago Children and Youth 1990-2010: Changing Population Trends and Their Implications for Services, by Robert M. Goerge, John Dilts, Duck-Hye Yang, Miriam Wasserman and Anne Clary.
Engaging Employers in Youth Workforce Development Activities
Based on interviews with youth program
providers, employers and policy-makers, this
paper explores the inclusion of employers in
workforce preparation activities for
disadvantaged youth. It discusses the degree
to which youth and employers are prepared to
engage with each other, how race and culture
influence the entire experience, and whether
program and policy efforts to increase employer
engagement are in scale with youth program
demand. The research highlights important
disconnects between program providers and
employers, and discusses implications for
program development.
Read the complete report,
Making Connections: Engaging Employers In Preparing Chicago's Youth for the Workforce, by Jan DeCoursey and Ada Skyles.
Applying Continuous Quality Improvement Process in Child Welfare Systems
This paper explores how the continuous
quality improvement process might be applied
to child welfare systems to improve outcomes
such as child safety, permanency and
well-being. The paper includes a detailed
explanation of the process, from establishing
a baseline of current performance measures
and monitoring progress toward set goals.
Read the complete report,
Monitoring Child Welfare Programs: Performance Improvement in a CQI Context, by Fred Wulczyn.
For more information contact:
Jelene Britten
Public Affairs Associate
Chapin Hall Center for Children
1313 East 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
Phone: 773.256.5138
jbritten@chapinhall.org
