OJJDP Juvenile Justice, 7/15

According to analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiological Survey (NLAES), the earlier persons began drinking alcohol, the more likely they were to have used other drugs illicitly. According to the survey, approximately half the persons who began drinking at age 14 or younger had also used other drugs illicitly, compared with about 10 percent of those who started drinking when 20 years old or older.

New York Times, 7/5

Faced with soaring gasoline prices, agencies around the country that provide services to the elderly say they are having to cut back on programs like Meals on Wheels, transportation assistance and home care, especially in rural areas that depend on volunteers who provide their own gas. In a recent survey by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, more than half said they had already cut back on programs because of gas costs, and 90 percent said they expected to make cuts in the 2009 fiscal year.

Media Newswire, 7/1

A new report on a program providing services to certain at-risk groups, those interested in marriage education or individuals living in rural communities through faith-based and community grants found that nearly two-thirds of those faith-based and secular organizations receiving awards reported their ability to provide greater services.

The report, An Assessment of the Compassion Capital Fund Targeted Capacity Building Program: Findings from a Retrospective Survey of Grantees, was issued by the Administration for Children and Families ( ACF ) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ).

Education Week, 6/27

The full Senate Appropriations Committee approved a fiscal 2009 spending measure that would eliminate funding for the controversial Reading First program, while providing modest increases for other programs serving disadvantaged students and those in special education.

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, 6/27

Soaring dropout rates among high school students and diminished literacy skills among adults are contributing to an increasingly ill-prepared U.S. labor force and pose a serious threat to the nation’s economic future, a new report produced by the National Commission on Adult Literacy finds.

Based on a two-year study of trends, challenges and opportunities in adult education and workforce development nationwide, the report, Reach Higher, America: Overcoming Crisis in the U.S. Workforce, finds that a growing percentage of U.S. workers is not prepared for careers in fields with growth potential such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing and alternative energy.

Urban Institute, 6/24

Funding for federal programs that help children is declining, a new study from the Urban Institute and New America Foundation finds.

The report, Kids’ Share 2008: How Children Fare in the Federal Budget, found that if current spending and revenue policies remain unchanged, funding for children’s programs will account for 13.8 percent of the domestic federal budget — which excludes defense, non-defense homeland security, and international affairs — by 2018, down from 16.2 percent in 2007. While overall domestic spending is projected to increase by $771 billion over the next decade, programs for children will receive only 7.1 percent, or $55 billion, of that increase under current law.