United States Child Poverty Second Only to Romania in Developed World per UNICEF Study

Can government spending lift poor children from poverty?

A new report from UNICEF suggests it's possible. The latest edition of UNICEF's report on child poverty in developed countries found that 30 million children in 35 of the world's richest countries live in poverty. Among those countries, the United States ranks second on the scale of what economists call "relative child poverty" -- above Latvia, Bulgaria, Spain, Greece, and 29 others. Only Romania ranks higher, with 25.5 percent of its children living in poverty, compared with 23.1 percent in the U.S.

The term "relative child poverty" refers to a child living in a household where the disposable income is less than half of the national median income.  Many critics argue that relative poverty isn't the same as real hardship, or absolute poverty.

But the report brushes that away...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/30/us-child-poverty-report-unicef_n_1555533.html

Urban Districts Say Proposed Changes to Michigan's Kindergarten Funding Will Force Budget Cuts

Some urban districts using federal money to pay for all-day kindergarten say they’ll have to do some budget shifting or possibly cut some programs unless lawmakers make some changes.

Grand Rapids Public Schools leaders say they’ve recruited an influential ally – Doug DeVos, son of the Amway founder – in an effort to turnaround what they say is an unintended consequence of the new funding plan encouraging all-day kindergarten.

The proposed state school aid budget calls for cutting per-student grants in half for students enrolled in half-day kindergarten classes, an effort to prompt districts into creating all-day programs.

 Grand Rapids already offers all-day kindergarten, supplanted with $3.3 million awarded through Title I, a federal program intended to help students in poverty. Federal regulations strictly limit how the money can be spent...

At least 10 districts are expected to be effected. Lansing schools could have to redirect $2.5 million in funding; Flint would have to move $2.1 million. Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Ypsilanti and Mt. Clemens also face the same situation.

http://www.mlive.com/education/index.ssf/2012/05/urban_districts_say_proposed_k.html

Teenage pregnancy: High US rates due to poverty, not promiscuity

Why is a teenage girl in Mississippi four times as likely to give birth than a teenage girl in New Hampshire?  (And 15 times more likely to give birth than a teen in Switzerland?) Or why is the teen birth rate in Massachusetts 19.6 per 1,000, while it’s 47.7 per 1,000 in Washington, D.C.?

And why, despite a 40 percent drop over two decades, are teen moms still far more common in the US than elsewhere across the developed world?

(And nope, it’s not that American teens have more sex. Many studies have found that US teenagers have less sex than compatriots in Europe.)

The answer, according to a study published today in the Journal of Economic Perspectives, may well lie in social inequality.

Academics and policy-makers have known for decades that girls living in lower socio-economic circumstances are more likely than their wealthier peers to become pregnant. And anthropologists and social workers explain that teens who experience “despair” are more likely to turn to motherhood as a way to find meaning in a world where they see few other options.

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/Modern-Parenthood/2012/0522/Teenage-pregnancy-High-US-rates-due-to-poverty-not-promiscuity

Haven of Battle Creek offers assistance to needy Saturday

People teetering on homelessness often have to decide whether to pay rent or buy necessities like toothpaste, soap and other toiletries.

On Saturday, The Haven of Battle Creek is stepping in to help meet that need, so more Calhoun County families can meet their most basic hygiene needs.


“We have people who are living with friends or relatives, even working families who just can’t make ends meet,” said Daniel Jones, spokesman at The Haven. “You have people who have to make choices between paying their rent or buying toothpaste, and they don’t have the extra money to buy the personal items.”
From 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church, 111E. Michigan Ave., the H.O.P.E. Team, which stands for Hope of People Everywhere, will host a lunch and donation of personal hygiene items to the public.

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20120517/NEWS01/305170019/Providing-little-HOPE

Salvation Army Report Concludes Americans Don't Have Accurate Picture Of Poverty

Americans don’t quite have an accurate picture of what poverty in the United States looks like, at least according to a new survey.

Released today, “Perceptions of Poverty: The Salvation Army’s Report to America” surveyed more than 1,000 Americans online in February. The survey had a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.

The perception by Americans of how much annual income makes a family “poor” is roughly 25 percent less than the actual federal poverty level. On average, Americans believe the annual income that makes a family “poor” is approximately $18,472 – almost $4,600 less than the federal poverty level for a family of four, which is $23,050.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/16/poverty-salvation-army-report_n_1521577.html

Ben Moe sat down with Lori Moore on Friday to talk about Project Connect and the services it's providing to the Southwest Michigan Community.  Listen here.

Niles Area Postal Food Drive Donations Plummet

Donations to the Niles post office food drive plummeted to a new low this year.

A total of just more than 20,000 pounds of nonperishable food was collected on Saturday, down about 8,000 pounds from the year prior.

Food collected through the drive is distributed to three area food pantries: Niles Salvation Army, Christian Service Center and First Presbyterian Church.

Scott Lolmaugh, volunteer coordinator at the Niles Salvation Army, said his organization received 6,380 pounds from the drive, down 3,000 pounds from a year ago.

“It’s a significant amount less,” he said.


http://www.nilesstar.com/2012/05/14/post-office-drive-donations-dip/

Notre Dame Prof Busts Myths about Race & Gender

People are often told not to talk about race and gender in public.

That, according to University of Notre Dame professor Agustin Fuentes, provides fertile ground for myths that science long ago debunked.

Those myths include the belief that there are biologically distinct racial groups, that men are naturally aggressive or that there are significant biological differences between men and women that explain how the two genders respond to certain situations.

Fuentes brings science, history, culture and anthropology together to explode these myths in his latest book, "Race, Monogamy and Other Lies They Told You: Busting Myths About Human Nature."

Fuentes cites studies in recent years that refute popularly held beliefs about the differences between the male and female brain.

The racial myths might be the easiest to debunk because scientists have long noted that racial distinctions based on skin color, hair texture and other characteristics have no biological basis.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/notredame/sbt-20120513sbtmichd-03-03-20120513,0,5775937.story

Tax Exempt Organizations Must File Return May 15

Tax exempt organizations with a December 31 fiscal year are obligated to file their annual tax return by Tuesday, May 15.

Small tax exempts, i.e., those with annual incomes of less than $50,000, can file a "postcard" 990N.  Instructions for that form can be found at:

http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=169250,00.html

Larger tax exempts have to file an IRS form 990 or form 990-EZ.   A form 990-EZ may be filed for those organizations with less than $200,000 annual income and less than $500,000 in assets.

Per the IRS, tax exempt organizations which fail to file a tax return for three years in a row may lose their tax exempt status.

If your organization is not ready to file a 990 or 990-EZ by May 15, you can file an automatic 3-month extension by a simple filing of form 8868 (extension).  Information on this simple to file form can be found at:

http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=152723,00.html

The IRS has a one minute video with other helpful information on this topic:



(Note:  If your organization has a fiscal year which is other than a calendar year end 12/31/11, then your annual tax return is due the 15th day of the fifth month after your fiscal year end.)

Share of working moms nearing all-time high, but has it gotten any easier?

What's become clear in the weeks since Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen said Ann Romney "never worked a day in her life" is that the touchy, judgment-passing hostilities of the so-called mommy wars have not ceased to rankle moms of all stripes.

This latest chapter of the mommy wars – which many saw as a smokescreen for more pressing issues affecting working mothers today, such as comparatively low wages and the lack of quality, affordable child care – sees near-record-high shares of mothers in the workforce, some 70.6 percent.

It's been about 40 years since women, freshly liberated by the feminist movement, began entering the workforce in droves. Four decades later, has it gotten any easier?

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2012/0511/Share-of-working-moms-nearing-all-time-high-but-has-it-gotten-any-easier

Michigan K-12 Science Scores Improve, but Gap Between White/Black Students Labeled "Woeful"

Michigan students are making gains in science on a national exam, scoring above the national average, state educators said.

But an education advocacy group says the state has more work to do with black and low-income students who “remain woefully behind their white and more affluent peers.”

National Assessment of Educational Progress scores released Thursday show state eighth-graders showed Michigan students are ranked 16th in the country, up from being ranked 23rd in 2009.

Only three states – South Caroline, Colorado and Mississippi – had larger gains.

“Michigan's significantly improved scores are likely a result of our dedicated science teachers helping students learn more difficult information,” state Superintendent Mike Flanagan said in a release.

http://www.mlive.com/education/index.ssf/2012/05/michigan_students_scoring_high.html

Michigan Lawmakers Discussing Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients

State lawmakers are taking testimony on legislation to require some state welfare recipients to undergo drug testing.

Michigan tried before to require drug testing of welfare recipients.    That law mandated random drug testing.    But the courts stopped that program a decade ago.

Some legislators want to resurrect the idea, though this new program would focus on cash assistance recipients who are suspected of using illegal drugs.

“Hard earned tax dollars should be used efficiently,” says Utica State Representative Jeff Farrington.  He’s the bill’s sponsor.   “There are limited resources as we all know. Those resources should go to those in highest need. If someone is using cash assistance for their illegal drug habit that’s not a good use of our resources.”

Substance abuse treatment and welfare advocates oppose the drug testing requirement.    They say the proposal won’t save the state any money.

http://www.michiganradio.org/post/michigan-lawmakers-discussing-drug-testing-welfare-recipients

Comstock Public Schools Face Serious Fiscal Challenges

"Like trying to run with weights tied to your feet".

That's how Comstock Public Schools superintendent Todd Mora described the district's financial problems.  In a district faced with difficult problems like decreasing enrollment, student poverty and economic decline in the broader Comstock community, the sharp decrease in funds from the state are serious handicaps.

Julie Mack at MLive details the challenges facing Comstock's students, parents  and teachers in a community where parents who can are transferring their students to districts in less dire straits.  This only compounds the problem, as test scores (and, therefore, state funding) declines apace.

Read the whole article here.

Summer Job Outlook Improves for Teens

Claire Wahl is one-for-one in her summer job search.

The 14-year-old Birmingham Seaholm High School student pounced on the opportunity to be one of 20 seasonal workers at Dairy Deluxe in Birmingham — the only place she looked in her quest to save money for college and a car.

Other teens might find similar success in their search for summer employment, thanks to an improving economy that is expected to mean more job opportunities in Michigan and across the country.

While the outlook is rosier, there are still challenges, especially in Michigan where the unemployment rate for teens ages 16 to 19 was nearly 29 percent last year. In searching for jobs, teens might need to think outside the box, experts say.

"I actually feel like it is improving a bit," said Nancy Zambardi, a career specialist with the Troy School District's two high schools. "I have more job postings now than I did this time last year and for a higher hourly rate."

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120508/BIZ/205080368#ixzz1uFqe1dYW

Pokagon Band's New Community Center Is First in Southwest Michigan to Receive Environmentally Friendly Gold Certification

Porous paving bricks in the parking lot and solar panels in the back make it easy to understand why the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi's new community center has received environmental honors from a national organization.

The building along Dailey Road also features native plants growing on a roof section to insulate and reduce water runoff. It has a geothermal heating and cooling system, a berm insulating one side of the building and a passive solar system with glass walls facing south. It has a 12-inch concrete floor.

"We wanted the community center to be a gathering space for our members and also reflect our values and the idea of not doing too much damage to the Earth," said tribal spokeswoman Paige Risser. "The upfront costs may be higher but people will save in the long-term."


...The center is next to the band's Pokegnek Edawat Village residential development, about a mile from tribal headquarters. The site is ideal because it's within walking distance of the neighborhood, she said.


http://www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2012/04/30/local_news/9748028.txt

Hispanic Center of Western Michigan seeks volunteers to help bridge gap between techie kids and parents who can't compute

Like many moms, Gildara Gaona of Grand Rapids wants to help her children with homework. She wants to monitor Facebook activity in their teen years, and someday guide them through the college application process. But first, she is working to conquer email.

Gaona is a recent graduate of the digital connectors class at the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, a 15-week course teaching basic computer skills like Microsoft Word, Internet browsing, and email use.

“The digital divide in Kent County is huge,” said Jaenelle Ott, the adult education coordinator and lead teacher at the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan. “It creates inequality, and the gap continues to widen.”

http://www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/05/the_hispanic_center_of_western.html