Dear Friends,
We would like to share with you a recent policy brief produced by the Center for Urban Child Policy at The Urban Child Institute. This brief discusses undereducated parenting in our community and includes suggestions for policymakers to help provide more secure beginnings for vulnerable children in Memphis and Shelby County.
Among the key findings:
- In Shelby County, 28% of children are born to mothers lacking a high school diploma- and 13% are born into households where neither parent has a high school diploma. Only about one in five (21%) of Shelby County children are born to mothers with a college degree.
- Ninety percent of Shelby County families headed by a person lacking a high school diploma reside inside the Memphis city limits.
- In Shelby County, most families in poverty do not have educational attainment beyond high school; furthermore, almost 60% of our unemployed population has no formal education beyond the 12th grade.
- Parental educational attainment is a good predictor of a child’s overall life outcomes and successes. Increased parental education leads to improved child health and increases in educational performance and expectations.
Educational opportunities can be more accessible to low-income families in Memphis and Shelby County.
Policy Suggestions:
1. Increase funding for education and training in vocational and occupational skills and certification programs for low-income parents.
2. Increase access to financial aid and childcare for low-income students.
3. Head Start can promote the pursuit of higher education among the next generation of parents (Source: National Center for Children in Poverty).
The Center for Urban Child Policy conducts policy analysis and outreach as part of The Urban Child Institute in Memphis, Tennessee. The Center is committed to building public will and a sustained political voice for children in order to improve the well-being of all children and families.
We welcome your questions and comments.
Sincerely,
Doug Imig, Ph.D.
Frances Breland, M.A.
Katie Devlin, M.S.
23 February 2009
16 February 2009
Homelessness: A Family Affair
The Washington Post is reporting today on the changing face of homelessness in America- a rise in the number of two-parent families seeking housing. The current foreclosure dilemma, sluggish economy and rising unemployment rates are resulting in a marked increase in homeless families throughout the nation.
“Experts who study homelessness and poverty said the increase in homeless families illustrates how severely the economic crisis is affecting middle- and working-class households and how the worsening economy is pushing more people toward poverty,” says The Washington Post.
Local authorities in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle and Washington are reporting rising numbers of families seeking housing help, with the primary reasons reported for homelessness being job losses and foreclosures (Koch, 2008).
What does this mean for our community? Memphis employment has contracted more sharply than the national average throughout 2008. Employment growth in the Memphis MSA was negative in all good-producing and in most service-providing sectors (July 2007-July 2008) (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 2008). According to a January 2009 article published in the Commercial Appeal, the Memphis foreclosure rate ranks 18th worst in the United States. Our most conservative estimates of projected recession-induced homelessness for Memphis and Shelby County suggest that our homeless population will increase by 1,090 people; however, estimates based on population statistics from the Memphis/Shelby County Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness suggest that our homeless population could increase by over 4,000+ during the economic downturn (CUCP, 2009).
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers five promising homelessness prevention strategies:
1. Provide housing subsidies to low-income families.
2. Link supportive services (i.e. mental health counseling) and permanent housing.
3. Provide effective mediation in housing courts.
4. Provide cash assistance for rent or mortgage deficits.
5. Ensure that families quickly leave transitional shelters and stay housed afterwards.
The full HUD report can be found at http://www.huduser.org/Publications/pdf/Strategies_for_preventing_Homelessness.pdf
References:
Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis. (2008). Current economic conditions in the eighth federal
reserve district: Memphis zone. Retrieved February 12, 2009 from
http://research.stlouisfed.org/regecon/burgundybooks/08/12/ZBB_Mem1208.pdf
Fontenay, B. (2009, January 16). Memphis foreclosure rate ranks 18th worst in the nation.
The Commercial Appeal.
Retrieved February 16, 2009 from
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jan/16/memphis-foreclosures-rank-high/
Jenkins, C.L. (2009, February 16). Homelessness: A family portrait. The Washington Post, pp.
A01.
Koch, W. (2008, October 21). Homeless numbers 'alarming'. USA Today. Retrieved
February 16, 2009 from
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-10-21-%20homeless_N.htm
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development and
Research. (2005). Strategies for preventing homelessness. Washington, DC: The Urban
Institute, Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc.
The 2002 report from the Memphis and Shelby County Mayors' Task Force on Homelessness can be accessed at http://www.ich.gov/slocal/plans/memphis.pdf
“Experts who study homelessness and poverty said the increase in homeless families illustrates how severely the economic crisis is affecting middle- and working-class households and how the worsening economy is pushing more people toward poverty,” says The Washington Post.
Local authorities in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle and Washington are reporting rising numbers of families seeking housing help, with the primary reasons reported for homelessness being job losses and foreclosures (Koch, 2008).
What does this mean for our community? Memphis employment has contracted more sharply than the national average throughout 2008. Employment growth in the Memphis MSA was negative in all good-producing and in most service-providing sectors (July 2007-July 2008) (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 2008). According to a January 2009 article published in the Commercial Appeal, the Memphis foreclosure rate ranks 18th worst in the United States. Our most conservative estimates of projected recession-induced homelessness for Memphis and Shelby County suggest that our homeless population will increase by 1,090 people; however, estimates based on population statistics from the Memphis/Shelby County Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness suggest that our homeless population could increase by over 4,000+ during the economic downturn (CUCP, 2009).
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers five promising homelessness prevention strategies:
1. Provide housing subsidies to low-income families.
2. Link supportive services (i.e. mental health counseling) and permanent housing.
3. Provide effective mediation in housing courts.
4. Provide cash assistance for rent or mortgage deficits.
5. Ensure that families quickly leave transitional shelters and stay housed afterwards.
The full HUD report can be found at http://www.huduser.org/Publications/pdf/Strategies_for_preventing_Homelessness.pdf
References:
Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis. (2008). Current economic conditions in the eighth federal
reserve district: Memphis zone. Retrieved February 12, 2009 from
http://research.stlouisfed.org/regecon/burgundybooks/08/12/ZBB_Mem1208.pdf
Fontenay, B. (2009, January 16). Memphis foreclosure rate ranks 18th worst in the nation.
The Commercial Appeal.
Retrieved February 16, 2009 from
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jan/16/memphis-foreclosures-rank-high/
Jenkins, C.L. (2009, February 16). Homelessness: A family portrait. The Washington Post, pp.
A01.
Koch, W. (2008, October 21). Homeless numbers 'alarming'. USA Today. Retrieved
February 16, 2009 from
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-10-21-%20homeless_N.htm
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development and
Research. (2005). Strategies for preventing homelessness. Washington, DC: The Urban
Institute, Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc.
The 2002 report from the Memphis and Shelby County Mayors' Task Force on Homelessness can be accessed at http://www.ich.gov/slocal/plans/memphis.pdf
11 February 2009
Ed Ziegler Discusses a New Pre-K - 3rd Initiative
In a new essay, Dr. Edward Ziegler, one of the founders of the Head Start program, argues for a rethinking of federal Title I policy. Ziegler believes we have a pressing need to redesign Title I based on scientific evidence that was not available when the program was created in 1965. Summarizing this literature, Ziegler argues that a key guide to effective programming is "the younger the better."
Key points drawn from the essay:
To its credit, Title I has never been tied to the "inoculation" model that pervaded the social sciences at the time it was launched. Everyone wanted to believe that one or two years of preschool could serve as an inoculation against all the ravages of poverty that a child may experience long before starting and long after leaving a preschool intervention ... We must move to a more realistic "developmental" model, in which the child is seen as moving from state to state in life, with each stage requiring appropriate environmental nutrients.
Key points drawn from the essay:
To its credit, Title I has never been tied to the "inoculation" model that pervaded the social sciences at the time it was launched. Everyone wanted to believe that one or two years of preschool could serve as an inoculation against all the ravages of poverty that a child may experience long before starting and long after leaving a preschool intervention ... We must move to a more realistic "developmental" model, in which the child is seen as moving from state to state in life, with each stage requiring appropriate environmental nutrients.
09 February 2009
Baby Einstein?
By age two, ninety percent of children are viewing television programming for an average of more than an hour and a half each day (Zimmerman, Christakis, & Meltzoff, 2007).
Children’s early brain development occurs through a process of interactions between children and their environments. Unfortunately, when infants and toddlers are watching television, their brains are being wired to respond to screens at a time when they need to be interacting with real human beings and developing motor skills.
The infant media market is an extremely lucrative industry; furthermore, many parents are convinced that program viewing is good for baby brain development. However, Andrew Meltzoff, co-director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, suggests that early television viewing places children on a route that puts them at an increased risk for attention deficit problems, diminished reading ability and weight issues.
Guidelines for Parents, Educators, and Early Childhood Professionals
- Discourage television viewing for children younger than 24 months; instead, suggest activities that foster healthy development (like reading, playing and singing).
Older toddlers:
- Remove television sets from children’s bedrooms.
- Monitor the programs children are viewing. Television programming should be informative and peaceful.
- Encourage brain activity by showing children that watching television can be an active experience. Repeat words and phrases you hear during the show and encourage children to sing and dance along with the characters.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that families and professionals lead community efforts in order to raise awareness about the relationship between early development and media exposure.
- Coordinate events advancing media education, such as local television turnoff week projects.
- Create alliances including libraries, churches, and community outreach programs to expand media education beyond the school systems.
- Work with the Department of Education to encourage the development of media education curricula for young children.
References:
Bar-on, M.E. et. al. (2001). Children, adolescents and television. Pediatrics, 107, 423-426.
Meltz, B.F. (2007, May 27). Heavy tv viewing under 2 is found: Ignoring risks, parents cite 'educational' value. The Boston Glode, pp.1.
Zimmerman, F., Christakis, D.A., & Meltzoff, A. (2007). Television and dvd/video viewing in children younger than 2 years. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 161 (5), 473-479.
Children’s early brain development occurs through a process of interactions between children and their environments. Unfortunately, when infants and toddlers are watching television, their brains are being wired to respond to screens at a time when they need to be interacting with real human beings and developing motor skills.
The infant media market is an extremely lucrative industry; furthermore, many parents are convinced that program viewing is good for baby brain development. However, Andrew Meltzoff, co-director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, suggests that early television viewing places children on a route that puts them at an increased risk for attention deficit problems, diminished reading ability and weight issues.
Guidelines for Parents, Educators, and Early Childhood Professionals
- Discourage television viewing for children younger than 24 months; instead, suggest activities that foster healthy development (like reading, playing and singing).
Older toddlers:
- Remove television sets from children’s bedrooms.
- Monitor the programs children are viewing. Television programming should be informative and peaceful.
- Encourage brain activity by showing children that watching television can be an active experience. Repeat words and phrases you hear during the show and encourage children to sing and dance along with the characters.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that families and professionals lead community efforts in order to raise awareness about the relationship between early development and media exposure.
- Coordinate events advancing media education, such as local television turnoff week projects.
- Create alliances including libraries, churches, and community outreach programs to expand media education beyond the school systems.
- Work with the Department of Education to encourage the development of media education curricula for young children.
References:
Bar-on, M.E. et. al. (2001). Children, adolescents and television. Pediatrics, 107, 423-426.
Meltz, B.F. (2007, May 27). Heavy tv viewing under 2 is found: Ignoring risks, parents cite 'educational' value. The Boston Glode, pp.1.
Zimmerman, F., Christakis, D.A., & Meltzoff, A. (2007). Television and dvd/video viewing in children younger than 2 years. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 161 (5), 473-479.
04 February 2009
Teen Parenting: Impacting Children and Families in Memphis and Shelby County
Dear Friends,
We would like to share with you a recent policy brief produced by the Center for Urban Child Policy at The Urban Child Institute. This brief discusses teen parenting in our community and includes suggestions for parents and policymakers to help provide more secure beginnings for vulnerable children in Memphis and Shelby County.
Among the key findings:
- 1 in 6 children in Shelby County are born to teen mothers. More than 85% of these mothers raise their children on less than $15,000 a year.
- 1 in 4 teen births in our county were not first births and the majority are to unmarried mothers without a high school diploma.
- In Shelby County, teen mothers are less likely than older mothers to receive prenatal care and more likely to give birth to a low birth-weight infant.
- Children born to teen mothers are at a greater risk for social, educational and behavioral problems throughout their lifetimes.
There are many things parents can do to help prevent their children from becoming parents at a young age:
Work to develop a close relationship with your children. Express love and affection often. Be supportive. Have meals together as a family. Listen carefully to what your children say. Be respectful to your children.
Know your children’s friends and their families. Welcome your child’s peer group into your home. Make an effort to meet the parents of your child’s friends. Talk openly to your child’s friends about your expectations.
Let your child know that you value his or her education highly. Set high expectations for educational performance. Help with homework. Meet with instructors and administrators. Volunteer in your child’s classroom.
Supervise and monitor your children. Establish regulations and curfews. Set high standards for expected behavior. Know what your children are listening to, watching and reading.
The Center for Urban Child Policy conducts public policy analysis and outreach as part of The Urban Child Institute in Memphis, Tennessee. The Center is committed to building public will and a sustained political voice for children in order to improve the well-being of all children and their families.
We welcome your questions and comments.
Sincerely,
Doug Imig, Ph.D.
Frances Breland, M.A.
Katie Devlin, M.S.
We would like to share with you a recent policy brief produced by the Center for Urban Child Policy at The Urban Child Institute. This brief discusses teen parenting in our community and includes suggestions for parents and policymakers to help provide more secure beginnings for vulnerable children in Memphis and Shelby County.
Among the key findings:
- 1 in 6 children in Shelby County are born to teen mothers. More than 85% of these mothers raise their children on less than $15,000 a year.
- 1 in 4 teen births in our county were not first births and the majority are to unmarried mothers without a high school diploma.
- In Shelby County, teen mothers are less likely than older mothers to receive prenatal care and more likely to give birth to a low birth-weight infant.
- Children born to teen mothers are at a greater risk for social, educational and behavioral problems throughout their lifetimes.
There are many things parents can do to help prevent their children from becoming parents at a young age:
Work to develop a close relationship with your children. Express love and affection often. Be supportive. Have meals together as a family. Listen carefully to what your children say. Be respectful to your children.
Know your children’s friends and their families. Welcome your child’s peer group into your home. Make an effort to meet the parents of your child’s friends. Talk openly to your child’s friends about your expectations.
Let your child know that you value his or her education highly. Set high expectations for educational performance. Help with homework. Meet with instructors and administrators. Volunteer in your child’s classroom.
Supervise and monitor your children. Establish regulations and curfews. Set high standards for expected behavior. Know what your children are listening to, watching and reading.
The Center for Urban Child Policy conducts public policy analysis and outreach as part of The Urban Child Institute in Memphis, Tennessee. The Center is committed to building public will and a sustained political voice for children in order to improve the well-being of all children and their families.
We welcome your questions and comments.
Sincerely,
Doug Imig, Ph.D.
Frances Breland, M.A.
Katie Devlin, M.S.
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