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Lessons from the United States: What Works?

Explore the successful strategies and initiatives implemented in the United States to address child poverty and promote access and opportunity. Learn from organizations like First Focus and InclusionUS who are making a difference in federal policy and budget decisions.

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Lessons from the United States: What Works?

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  1. Lessons from the United States:What Works?By Megan A. Curran

  2. Introducing: First Focus Who We Are: First Focus is a bipartisan child advocacy organization committed to making children and their families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. Based in Washington D.C. www.firstfocus.net

  3. Introducing: First Focus How We Work: • Bipartisanship • New Partnerships • Research for Results • Engaging State Leaders www.firstfocus.net

  4. Introducing: InclusionUS Promoting economic& social inclusionin the United States. Who We Are: • Team of research and consultancy associates known for int’l expertise, nat’l influence, and local knowledge all with experience in both the US and UK. www.firstfocus.net

  5. Coalition Partners THE COALITION TO PROMOTE ACCESS & OPPORTUNITY www.firstfocus.net

  6. Improving Access& Delivery: A Model for Action www.firstfocus.net

  7. A ‘Special Relationship’:Why the US cares about the UK • October 2011: UK Child Poverty Study Visit • London & Liverpool • 10 US participants • Highlights from Liverpool: • Home-Start Wirral • The Tranmere Project • Vauxhall Children’s Centre • Blackburne House • Stockbridge Village • Liverpool City Region Child Poverty & Life Chances Commission www.firstfocus.net

  8. The US Story Impact & aftermath of the (continuing?) recession in the United States… www.firstfocus.net

  9. 2010: Children with Unemployed Parents Notes and Sources: Unemployment rates are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment (LAU) data base, not seasonally adjusted, (accessed 11/18/2010). Count and percentage of children with unemployed parents based on tabulations of Current Population Survey data, January -September 2010. www.firstfocus.net

  10. The Effect of the Recession on Poverty & Child Poverty 1Poverty Rate is the percent of households with income below the federal poverty line 2Child poverty is the percent of children under 18 years old living in households with income below the federal poverty line Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey, and 2007 ACS. www.firstfocus.net

  11. Children Living in Low-Income Households Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2011 Annual Supplement, and 2008 Annual Supplement. www.firstfocus.net

  12. Child Poverty in Selected States:2007 & 2010 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey, and 2007 ACS. www.firstfocus.net

  13. 2007 & 2010 Poverty Rates: Metro vs. Nonmetro Areas Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, 2008 Annual Supplement www.firstfocus.net

  14. Federal Action: White House Neighbourhood Revitalization Initiative “If poverty is a disease that infects an entire community in the form of unemployment and violence; failing schools and broken homes, then we can’t just treat those symptoms in isolation. We have to heal that entire community. And we have to focus on what actually works.” – Barack Obama, 18 July 2007 ♦♦♦ “[I]n this country, change comes not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up” & “the change we seek…will not come from government alone.” – Barack Obama, 21 June 2008 www.firstfocus.net

  15. Federal Action: White House Neighbourhood RevitalizationInitiative A new approach to federal engagement in neighbourhoodsof concentrated poverty: • Interdisciplinary, to address the interconnected problems in distressed neighbourhoods; • Coordinated, to align the requirements of federal programs so that local communities can more readily braid together different funding streams; • Place-based, to leverage investments by geographically targeting resources and drawing on the compounding effect of well-coordinated action; • Data- and results-driven, to facilitate program evaluation, to guide adjustments, and to develop best practices; • Flexible, to adapt to changing conditions on the ground. www.firstfocus.net

  16. Federal Action: White House Neighbourhood Revitalization Initiative A focus on 5 initial programmes: • Promise Neighbourhoods • Choice Neighbourhoods • Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Programmes • Community Health Centres • Behavioural Health Services PLUS: White House Social Innovation Fund www.firstfocus.net

  17. Federal Action:Promise Neighbourhoods Q:What is a Promise Neighbourhood? A: Obama initiative modeled afterNew York’s Harlem Children’s Zone. [Cradle to College to Career & Community] www.firstfocus.net

  18. DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative: Target Neighborhoods www.firstfocus.net

  19. DC Promise Neighbourhood Initiative: Planning Components • 5 key components for DC: • Leadership & Management • Breaking Down Silos • Strategy Development • Community Engagement • Fundraising & Sustainability *For a detailed description of the above, check out the January 2012 Urban Institute paper: “Bringing Promise to Washington DC – The DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative” by Jennifer Comey, et al. www.firstfocus.net

  20. www.firstfocus.net

  21. Promise Neighborhoods: Resources • Harlem Children’s Zone • www.hcz.org • National Community of Practice • www.promiseneighborhoodsinstitute.org • DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative • www.dcpni.org www.firstfocus.net

  22. Federal Action: Social Innovation Fund “Combines public & private resources to grow promising community-based solutions that have evidence of results.” 3 Areas of Focus: • Economic Opportunity • Healthy Futures • Youth Development www.firstfocus.net

  23. State Action: Connecticut Commission on Children • Bipartisan creation in 1985. • Links government, private, voluntary, and philanthropic sectors. • Mission: Elevate issue of children’s needs and services within the state & move from crisis funding and programs to prevention services and outcomes. www.firstfocus.net

  24. State Action: Connecticut Commission on Children Areas of Success: • Prevention • Leveraging Resources • Poverty Reduction • Civic Engagement www.firstfocus.net

  25. Local Action: Facilitating Sustainable Employment • Employer Resource Networks (ERN) • Developed in response to concerns of business owners about retentions & skill levels of local workforce. • Pools small group of mid-size employers in same area/industry to offer training and life skills to entry-level and low-wage workers • Local Example: Lakeshore Employer Resource Network, Michigan (LERN) www.firstfocus.net

  26. What Works? Progress Can Be Made Even in Tough Times…what we know so far on what works…(in no particular order) • Leveraging Funding & Pooling Resources • Scaling Up with Flexibility • Leadership • Building Constituencies of Support • Evaluation (with caveats!) www.firstfocus.net

  27. Thank You! For more information: Megan A. CurranSenior Director, Associate Family Economics & mgn_curran@yahoo.commeganc@firstfocus.net www.firstfocus.net

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