National Center for The Study of Social Policy
The Center's work is concentrated in the areas of family and children's services; income supports, neighborhood-based services, education reform, family support, disability and health care policy, and long term care for the elderly. In all of its work, the Center emphasizes several common themes: (1) an approach based on outcomes accountability; (2) community service strategies that reach across categorical boundaries and are community owned; (3) new forms of state/local governance; (4) more flexible financing strategies, linked to results; and (5) attention to the human resources and other capacity-building needs required for human services systems to perform effectively.
From the Center's perspective, all of these efforts provide different "entry points" to a common purpose: to help states and localities implement creative and effective strategies that create opportunities to strengthen families and ensure that children grow up healthy, safe, successful in school, and ready for productive adulthood.
Strengthening Families
http://www.strengtheningfamilies.net
The Strengthening Families approach build five Protective Factors in families: Parental resilience, Social connections, Knowledge of parenting and child development, Concrete support in times of need and Children’s social and emotional development.
Research shows that these factors reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect by providing parents with what they need to parent effectively, even under stress. By building relationships with families, programs can recognize signs of stress and build families’ Protective Factors with timely, effective help.
Michigan League for Human Services (Kids Count)
Founded in 1912, the Michigan League for Human Services is a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that Michigan’s low-income residents achieve economic security. The League uses data-driven advocacy to shape public policy, focusing on a range of public and private supports, including public assistance, work and family supports, job training and education. The League also works to make sure adequate resources are available to support these services. Through research, analysis, public education and advocacy efforts, the League brings credible and accessible information to the public policy discussion of the critical issues that affect the lives of low-income people.
Center for Law and Social Policy
CLASP is a nonprofit public policy and advocacy organization. CLASP conducts research, policy analysis, technical assistance, and advocacy on issues related to economic security and family stability for low-income parents, children, and youth. CLASP analyzes proposed federal and state legislation, laws, and regulations. Upon request, CLASP also testifies before Congress and state legislatures.
"Workforce preparedness begins at birth: Creating a skilled workforce for Michigan's new economy" Michigan Coalition for Children and Families
"A Discussion on the Economics of Early Childhood Development" Art Rolnick, Senior Vice President and Director of Research and Rob Grunewald, Regional Economic Analyst; Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Volune 17 Number 4 Supplement December 2003 ISSN 1045-3369
"Early Childhood Education: A Call to Action from the Business Community - Why America Needs High-Quality Early Childhood Education" Business Roundtable
"Fostering Human Capital - Invest in the Very Young" James J. Heckman, Ph.D., Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences 2000 for the Ounce of Prevention Fund and Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago