This final report on southern American cities cites as its major recommendation the need for each southern State to have articulated urban policy. Findings are summarized in the areas of State urban policies, intergovernmental relationships, economic development policy, planning and growth policy, annexation policy, and energy policy. Background…

This document gives brief answers to questions that are frequently asked about refugee resettlement and asylum. The topics covered include the following: the differences between refugees and asylees; how refugee admission numbers and allocations are determined; how refugees are selected; the application processing procedure, including changes due…

This report provides a brief overview of state policies and programs to address the problems of adolescent pregnancy and parenting. Section 1, a brief introduction, is followed by a section which examines a broad set of state policies and programs affecting at-risk youth, including pregnant teenagers and teenage parents. The state-by-state review…

Vermont experienced a rapid expansion of federal childhood funding and programs (accompanied by their voluminous and sometimes contradictory regulations), and identified the need to unify the system after recognizing that the complexity of the early childhood education service delivery system was bewildering for parent-consumers. This report…

The mental health policies of the past 20 years and the evidence of unserved populations suffering from serious mental illness constitute a public health crisis. Currently there are at least 3,000,000 people in the United States suffering from mental disorders. A fully developed continuum of care is needed to respond effectively to the diverse…

Many mentally ill children, especially those who are seriously disturbed, are not receiving the mental health care they need. Although the federal government offers financing to the states for child and adolescent mental health programming, the primary responsibility for financing mental health services has been assumed by state governments. At…

This document examines the school-to-work transition issue from a state, national, and global perspective. Chapter 1 explores problems facing youths entering the job market, demands of the global marketplace and changing economy, critical skills needed by workers, and benefits of integrating academic and workplace skills in the classroom. Chapter…

An analysis of Southern states' policies, programs, and funding related to adolescent pregnancy was conducted for the purpose of assessing the role of the states in stimulating prevention initiatives. Specific states included were Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina,…

This report describes the purpose, process, and outcomes of the Symposium on "Policy and Program Issues Related to Child and Family Services to Black Americans," sponsored by the Division of Black American Affairs of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). In stage one of the symposium task group activities, the participants, who came…

For certain groups of the mentally ill, most notably individuals with serious mental disabilities, the community-based mental health system can be more of a "non-system." Unforeseen problems have plagued both the dream of deinstitutionalization and the effectiveness of community mental health centers during the last 20 years. Uncoordinated…

The focus of this study is on the relationship between community support programs and the provision of mental health services to urban Hispanic populations, and the impact of existing public policies and future policy options on the chronically mentally ill in Puerto Rican neighborhoods in New York City. This policy analysis uses five steps. (1)…

This paper reports on the High/Scope National Policy Conference, which was concerned with the process of designing good early childhood legislation and the political processes that enhance or impede legislative passage. Discussion began with an overview of the range of options facing policymakers as they attempt to design legislation or write…

This report provides a comprehensive portrait of America's most vulnerable children and families, gathered as a quick reference to national and state data on the U.S. child welfare system. Data were derived from the Child Welfare League of America's 1996 State Survey of Child Welfare and from U.S. Government agencies and other national sources.…

The components of Wisconsin's 1991 Assembly Bill 680 that considers homelessness are discussed in this document. The Bill itself addresses: (1) surplus state lands; (2) transitional housing grants; (3) prevention of homelessness; (4) establishing a low-income housing income and franchise tax credit; (5) veterans lacking a permanent address; (6)…

Historically, the financial responsibility for caring for those with mental illness has shifted back and forth from the local community, to the state, to the federal government. Today states provide the vast majority of the funds to the state mental health agencies and oversee local governments and most private resources for mental health funding.…