First International Society for Child Indicators Conference: June 26-28
The International Society for Child Indicators and Chapin Hall invite participants to "Child Indicators: Diverse
Approaches to a Shared Goal," a conference taking place in Chicago on June 26-28. Speakers from around the globe will convene to explore how child indicators can be used to improve the development and well-being of the world's children. All participants will have an opportunity to discuss relevant issues, form networks, share resources and collaborate.
Review the conference agenda and other conference details.
Register online today to secure your spot.
Audio Recording: Government Spending on Children: Aligning Priorities and Resources
At the Thursday's Child public policy forum on March 8 in Washington, D.C., panelists explored the budgetary and political issues that have led to a drop in federal funding of children's programs. Chapin Hall Research Fellow Fred Wulczyn discussed how these issues affect the financing of child welfare programs and suggested funding improvements that would better serve the well-being of children.
Listen to the complete audio recording.
Read the related report, Getting What We Pay For - Do Expenditures Align with Outcomes in the Child Welfare System?, by Fred Wulczyn and Britany Orlebeke.
Report Explores Successes and Challenges of Preschool Program
Chapin Hall evaluated a pre-kindergarten program in Palm Beach County, Fla., which has a goal of providing low-income children with a high-quality, year-round preschool experience. The program consists of an education curriculum with documented results, low teacher-child ratios, the use of trained and certified teachers, and an intensive program of activities designed to strengthen parent involvement. The report found that while the curriculum was successfully implemented during the initiative's first year, work remains to fully integrate the program into the school setting.
Read the complete report, The Early Childhood Cluster Initiative of Palm Beach County, Florida: Early Implementation Study And Evaluability Assessment, by Julie Spielberger and Paul Goyette.
Substance Abuse Interventions for Young Offenders
This article, published in the Juvenile and Family Court Journal, discusses an initiative designed to improve substance abuse interventions for justice-involved youth. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched the project and early evaluation results indicate that it has inspired improvements in the quality of service delivery systems.
Read the article, The RWJF Reclaiming Futures Initiative: Improving Substance Abuse Interventions for Justice-Involved Youths, by Laura Burney Nissen, Jeffrey A. Butts, Daniel Merrigan, and M. Katherine Kraft.
Chapin Hall's Jeffrey Butts Addresses Legislators on Youth Crime Prevention Methods
At a February 15 meeting of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security in the U.S. House of Representatives, legislators discussed the recent increase in youth violence in some U.S cities and how early intervention methods could help stem rising crime rates.
Chapin Hall Research Fellow Jeffrey Butts testified that recent increases in youth crime are small when taken in the context of crime rates over the last three decades and that predictions of a coming wave of youth crime are premature. Butts also discussed the benefits of early intervention and positive youth development methods, which have proven effective in preventing youth crime.
Read his complete testimony and watch the video of the hearing.
To learn more about juvenile justice issues, see the following Chapin Hall reports and event recordings:
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
