1. Lessons from the United States: What Works? By Megan A. Curran

2. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Introducing: First Focus Who We Are: First Focus is a bipartisan child advocacy organization committed to making children and their families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. Based in Washington D.C.

3. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Introducing: First Focus How We Work: Bipartisanship New Partnerships Research for Results Engaging State Leaders

4. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Introducing: InclusionUS Promoting economic & social inclusion in the United States. Who We Are: Team of research and consultancy associates known for int’l expertise, nat’l influence, and local knowledge all with experience in both the US and UK.

5. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Coalition Partners THE COALITION TO PROMOTE ACCESS & OPPORTUNITY

6. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Improving Access& Delivery: A Model for Action

7. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net A ‘Special Relationship’: Why the US cares about the UK October 2011: UK Child Poverty Study Visit –London & Liverpool –10 US participants –Highlights from Liverpool: Home-Start Wirral The Tranmere Project Vauxhall Children’s Centre Blackburne House Stockbridge Village Liverpool City Region Child Poverty & Life Chances Commission

8. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net The US Story Impact & aftermath of the (continuing?) recession in the United States…

9. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net 2010: Children with Unemployed Parents Notes and Sources: Unemployment rates are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment (LAU) data base, not seasonally adjusted, (accessed 11/18/2010). Count and percentage of children with unemployed parents based on tabulations of Current Population Survey data, January -September 2010.

10. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net 1 Poverty Rate is the percent of households with income below the federal poverty line 2 Child poverty is the percent of children under 18 years old living in households with income below the federal poverty line Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey, and 2007 ACS. The Effect of the Recession on Poverty & Child Poverty

11. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Children Living in Low-Income Households Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2011 Annual Supplement, and 2008 Annual Supplement.

12. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Child Poverty in Selected States: 2007 & 2010 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey, and 2007 ACS.

13. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net 2007 & 2010 Poverty Rates: Metro vs. Nonmetro Areas Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, 2008 Annual Supplement

14. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Federal Action: White House Neighbourhood Revitalization Initiative “If poverty is a disease that infects an entire community in the form of unemployment and violence; failing schools and broken homes, then we can’t just treat those symptoms in isolation. We have to heal that entire community. And we have to focus on what actually works.” – Barack Obama, 18 July 2007 ♦♦♦ “[I]n this country, change comes not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up” & “the change we seek…will not come from government alone.” – Barack Obama, 21 June 2008

15. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Federal Action: White House Neighbourhood Revitalization Initiative A new approach to federal engagement in neighbourhoods of concentrated poverty: Interdisciplinary, to address the interconnected problems in distressed neighbourhoods; Coordinated, to align the requirements of federal programs so that local communities can more readily braid together different funding streams; Place-based, to leverage investments by geographically targeting resources and drawing on the compounding effect of well-coordinated action; Data- and results-driven, to facilitate program evaluation, to guide adjustments, and to develop best practices; Flexible, to adapt to changing conditions on the ground.

16. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Federal Action: White House Neighbourhood Revitalization Initiative A focus on 5 initial programmes: Promise Neighbourhoods Choice Neighbourhoods Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Programmes Community Health Centres Behavioural Health Services PLUS: White House Social Innovation Fund

17. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Federal Action: Promise Neighbourhoods Q: What is a Promise Neighbourhood? A: Obama initiative modeled after New York’s Harlem Children’s Zone. [Cradle to College to Career & Community]

18. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative: Target Neighborhoods

19. Children in the Budget: DC Promise Neighbourhood Initiative: Planning Components 5 key components for DC: –Leadership & Management –Breaking Down Silos –Strategy Development –Community Engagement –Fundraising & Sustainability *For a detailed description of the above, check out the January 2012 Urban Institute paper: “Bringing Promise to Washington DC – The DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative” by Jennifer Comey, et al. www.firstfocus.net

20. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net

21. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Promise Neighborhoods: Resources Harlem Children’s Zone –www.hcz.orgwww.hcz.org National Community of Practice –www.promiseneighborhoodsinstitute.orgwww.promiseneighborhoodsinstitute.org DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative –www.dcpni.orgwww.dcpni.org

22. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Federal Action: Social Innovation Fund “Combines public & private resources to grow promising community-based solutions that have evidence of results.” 3 Areas of Focus: Economic Opportunity Healthy Futures Youth Development

23. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net State Action: Connecticut Commission on Children Bipartisan creation in 1985. Links government, private, voluntary, and philanthropic sectors. Mission: Elevate issue of children’s needs and services within the state & move from crisis funding and programs to prevention services and outcomes.

24. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net State Action: Connecticut Commission on Children Areas of Success: Prevention Leveraging Resources Poverty Reduction Civic Engagement

25. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Local Action: Facilitating Sustainable Employment Employer Resource Networks (ERN) –Developed in response to concerns of business owners about retentions & skill levels of local workforce. –Pools small group of mid-size employers in same area/industry to offer training and life skills to entry-level and low-wage workers –Local Example: Lakeshore Employer Resource Network, Michigan (LERN)

26. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net What Works? Progress Can Be Made Even in Tough Times …what we know so far on what works… (in no particular order) –Leveraging Funding & Pooling Resources –Scaling Up with Flexibility –Leadership –Building Constituencies of Support –Evaluation (with caveats!)

27. Children in the Budget: www.firstfocus.net Thank You! For more information: Megan A. Curran Senior Director, Associate Family Economics & mgn_curran@yahoo.com meganc@firstfocus.netmgn_curran@yahoo.com meganc@firstfocus.net