Resources of Note

Recent Report Raises Concerns on New Medicaid Rules

First Focus, a national bipartisan child welfare advocacy organization, recently commissioned a report on the effect of proposed changes to Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) on children, particularly those with special health needs. The report and summary are available at http://firstfocus.net/pages/3377/.

How Good Are Your Communications Tools?

Measuring the value of your agency’s communications work is not easy or straightforward, certainly not as easy as counting the number of clients served by a food bank or counseling center. But it’s not impossible, says Fenton Communications.

Success means much more than getting your agency’s name in the newspaper, says Lisa Witer, Fenton’s COO. Earned media is just one facet of a communications program, which can include everything from an online presence to advertising to the communications strategy work needed to build your organization’s profile.

Fenton offers a concise, practical guide for evaluating your communications efforts. It features a useful evaluation grid, and 10 key questions. For a copy of "Proving Your Worth," contact Fenton

Training Offered for Grantees

Since November 2007, the Annie E. Casey Foundation/Casey Family Services has offered training sessions at 127 Church Street, New Haven, in a variety of areas. Open to all on a first–come–first served basis, the trainings to date have covered results–based accountability, proposal writing, conflict resolution and advocacy. On April 23, an advanced course in results–based accountability was offered.

The schedule for future training is as follows: May 6, June 10, June 23, and June 25.

Publication Reveals Declining Spending for Children

Over the past five years, only one penny of every new, real non-defense dollar spent by the federal government goes to children, according to a new publication by First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization.

The book, Children’s Budget 2008, was made possible with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. It is an analysis of more than 180 federally funded programs that are aimed at enhancing the well-being of our nation’s children, and how their appropriations levels have changed over the past five years. After adjusting for inflation, Children’s Budget 2008 finds that just one percent of all new spending since fiscal year 2004 is helping American kids.