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The Annie E. Casey Foundation's quarterly Center for Family Economic Success (CFES) Newsletter provides updates on our work promoting family economic success in the context of building supportive communities for children and families. The aspiration of the new center is to link people, place and opportunity. CFES embraces the traditional FES goals of enabling parents to advance in the workforce and build the assets needed to secure better futures for their families. It also encompasses investments in creating affordable, mixed-income communities with access to a rich array of services, opportunities, and supports. |
Events
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Documentary on Credit Scores Debuts
The Foundation is releasing its latest documentary aimed at working families trying to build financial stability and move up the economic ladder. Pursuit of the Dream: Building Credit for Life, explains how a good credit rating will save the average borrower $250,000 in interest over a lifetime. But some 70 million Americans either have poor credit scores or no credit history at all. The DVD includes tips for building a good score and for avoiding money traps that can drag down credit ratings. The Foundation hosted a screening of the DVD and a panel discussion on Jan. 6.
View the documentary, read the guide, or order the DVD
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Giloth Argues for a Job Creation Agenda for All
As business leaders and economists gathered for a White House jobs summit in December, Casey's Center for Family Economic Success Director Robert P. Giloth published an op-ed on the Huffington Post urging them not to forget low-wage workers. “Spending federal money to create work for low-income people is not some misguided form of welfare,” Giloth wrote. “Rather, in a country where 88 million adults lack the basic skills required for 90 percent of jobs in the fastest growing industries, this effort would be key to rebuilding our economy and restoring our competitive edge globally.” Giloth’s piece drew on a policy brief prepared by consultant Sarah Griffen.
See the op-ed here and the policy paper
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Feature Story
Western Maryland County Focuses on Education to Attract Jobs
Faced with a changing local economy dominated by low-wage jobs, leaders in Garrett County, Maryland, realized that to attract higher-paying employers, the county must develop a more skilled workforce. They started with the children—developing a strong early childhood education program to prepare them for school and ensure they have role models. At the other end of the educational spectrum, the county’s high school graduates qualify for county-funded, full-tuition scholarship if they attend the local community college full time.
Read the full story |
Publications, Presentations and Other Resources
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Debt Settlement Companies Should be Regulated
As households struggle in today’s fragile economy, debt settlement companies are proliferating. These firms offer to relieve financial distress by negotiating with creditors to reduce a consumer’s debt. But often, these tactics result in the consumer paying substantial, upfront fees only to end up with less money, more debt, a worse credit score and dwindling options, according to a report released by the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition. "Debt Settlement in Maryland," a report funded by the Casey Foundation, urges the Maryland General Assembly to pass legislation regulating the industry and offers tips to consumers who are using debt settlement companies.
Read the report
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Foreclosure Crisis Creates Need for Responsible Redevelopment
The wave of foreclosures that has devastated neighborhoods across the country creates a need for applying Responsible Redevelopment principles. NeighborWorks America and the Annie E. Casey Foundation partnered to explore holistic ways to restore these communities. The case studies provided in “Responsible Approaches to Neighborhood Stabilization,” demonstrate that restoring neighborhoods will require more than filling vacant homes with new occupants. It will mean changing the ground rules to make sure that the voices of residents are heard and their needs and rights respected when decisions are made affecting their communities.
View the report here
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Job Training in a Jobless Recovery
What does a job training program do when there are simply no jobs available? The Aspen’s Institute’s Maureen Conway and Casey's Center for Family Economic Success Director Robert P. Giloth explore this dilemma on an online op-ed that appeared in December in Spotlight on Poverty, the Denver Post and the Huffington Post. In “Job Training in a Jobless Recovery,” Conway and Giloth point to successful workforce development programs that are placing workers despite the economic downturn. They rely on sector-based approaches that work closely with industries to determine what jobs and skills are needed and match training to those needs.
View the op-ed here
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Measuring Education and Training Outcomes Requires Effective Data Systems
Before states can develop more skilled workforces, they must first be able to assess the performance and outcomes of education and skills development programs. This requires well-designed and effective state data systems. "Building and Strengthening State Data Systems to Measure Community College and Workforce Outcomes" examines the issues associated with creating, improving and connecting post-secondary, adult education and skills development data systems. The policy brief from the Working Poor Families Project also identifies barriers that states may encounter, profiles model state systems, and makes policy recommendations. The project is a national initiative of the Annie E. Casey, Ford, Joyce and Mott Foundations.
Read the policy brief
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Recession Brings Greater Reliance on Wives as Breadwinners
One consequence of the Great Recession has been an increased reliance on wives’ earnings, as husbands lose their jobs and family earnings plummet. In 2008, employed wives contributed 45 percent of total family earnings, a statistically significant rise from 44 percent a year earlier, according to “Increased Reliance on Wives as Breadwinners During the First Year of the Recession.” The brief from the Carsey Institute outlines how the recession has affected men’s employment more than women’s, given that 72 percent of the jobs lost since December 2007 were jobs held by men. With support from the Casey Foundation and others, Carsey conducts policy research on vulnerable children, youth and families.
Read the report here
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Nebraska Develops Agenda for Building Jobs and Skills
Nebraska needs to provide an aggressive job training program, strong adult education, child care assistance and accessible health care to help working families rebound from the recession, according to a report released by Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest. In “Nebraska’s Economic Opportunity Agenda: Eight Strategies to Build Good Jobs, Skilled Workers and Strong Families,” Appleseed outlines steps to create broad-based economic opportunities. In a related policy brief, the group advocates for modernizing the state’s Unemployment Insurance system. Both reports were supported by the Working Poor Families Project, a national initiative of the Annie E. Casey, Ford, Joyce and Mott Foundations.
See the report and the policy brief
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Please let us know if this newsletter is helpful to you and how it might be improved to meet your needs. Contact fesnewsletter@aecf.org with questions or suggestions. Feel free to forward this newsletter to interested colleagues.
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