Study: Poverty in childhood can shape neurobiology

A recent study presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting demonstrated the effects that poverty can have on a child's neurobiology:

Living in poverty can shape the neurobiology of a developing child "in powerful ways," affecting children's behavior, health and how well they do later in life, a new study shows.

U.S. researchers found what they called "a biology of misfortune" among adults who were poor as children, particularly if they lived in poverty before the age of 5, the study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) shows.

Early childhood is a"crucial time for establishing the brain architecture that shape's children's future cognitive, social and emotional well-being," the study says.

"Children growing up in a disadvantaged setting show disproportionate levels of reactivity to stress, and it shows at the level of hormonal studies, neurological brain imaging studies and at the level of epigenetic profiling," said Thomas Boyce, of the University of British Columbia.

Thankfully, legislatures supported the continuation of funding for Early Childhood Education programs in the State of Michigan's Budget earlier this fall. If this study's results are true, then not only are we talking about the economic future of our children but of their social and cognitive abilities as well. Heavy levels of stress that children suffer in poverty have very long-term consequences that potentially create mental barriers for the rest of their life.

The researchers studied data on more than 1,500 individuals born between 1968 and 1975 taken from a 40-year demographic study of U.S. households that measured family income during every year of childhood, educational attainment, what level people reached in their careers, plus crime and health as adults.

They found "striking differences" in how the children's lives turned out as adults, depending on whether they were poor or comfortably well-off before the age of 6.

"Compared to children whose families had incomes of at least twice the poverty line during their early childhood, poor children complete two fewer years of schooling, work 451 fewer hours per year, earn less than half as much," the study said.

They also received more than $800 a year more in food stamps as adults, and were more than twice as likely to report poor overall health or high levels of psychological distress, the study said.

Poor children were also fatter than their more affluent counterparts, and were more likely to be overweight as adults.

And the litany of misfortunes continues, with poor males twice as likely to be arrested and poor women six times more likely than their more affluent age-group peers to have a child out of wedlock.

The study also found that it was possible to positively shape the futures of poor children, by giving the families of under-fives additional income. About 4 million children in the United States lived in poverty in 2007.

Read the full article:

http://www.news24.com/Content/SciTech/News/1132/9cbf7c95f98d4d87a65e16b326436fc6/22-02-2010-07-15/Poverty_affects_kids_success

Habitat for Humanity seeing fewer applicants

Habitat for Humanity is struggling to find families to become owners of new homes. The Kalamazoo Gazette Reports:

A sluggish economy has led to fewer families seeking to partner with Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity to build their own homes, said Don Jones, the organization’s executive director.

“Families have dialed back and are unwilling to sign on for a major financial commitment,” Jones said.

It’s the first time in a decade that Kalamazoo’s Habitat affiliate is without the desired number of families to partner with to build new homes, said Ann Kilkuskie, the organization’s development director. To close that gap, the agency has stepped up efforts to promote the affordable-housing program to those who qualify.

Kalamazoo Habitat is not the only city which is struggling:

The Battle Creek Area Habitat for Humanity also has struggled in the last 18 months “to get a full slate of homeowners for our houses,” said Art Pearce, the agency’s executive director. Officials with Habitat for Humanity of Michigan say the majority of the state’s 77 affiliates are experiencing a similar downturn in applicants.

The fear of buying a Habitat-built home seems somewhat misguided, as the homes are often more affordable than many apartment complexes which would offer much less. The idea of a long-term financial commitment could be scaring families, though logically they have to be paying for rent someone else if they need a home anyway. Additionally, some of Habitats requirements are not be possible for families who have to work a lot of hours to support their income.

“When you do the Habitat math and factor in a zero-percentage mortgage, a house sold at no profit and down payment assistance, you’re looking at a $450 a month house payment,” Jones said. “It’s the same math whether it’s tough or great economic times.”

To qualify to partner with Habitat to build a home, individuals must meet certain criteria, including the ability to make monthly house payments and a commitment of between 300 and 500 hours of “sweat equity” hours toward their home. Jones said participants also must attend classes on home ownership and financing and fall within income guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Read the full Kalamazoo Gazette article:

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/02/economy_stalls_affordable-hous.html

Justice: A Poem by Langston Hughes

February was Black History month celebrated in the United States and Canada.

As a final tribute, I thought I would share a poem from one of my favorite poets: Langston Hughes.

Justice

That justice is a blind goddess
Is a thing to which we black are wise:
Her bandage hides two festering sores
That once perhaps were eyes.


Mr. Hughes died in 1967. My guess is that if Mr. Hughes were alive today, he would not be bashful about what he would perceive as the injustice of a legal system in which so many young minority men are incarcerated, often for lack of adequate legal assistance.

More information about Mr. Hughes can be found at:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes

Expelled Students in Southern Berrien County Given a Chance at Fresh Start

"For students who have found themselves caught up in trouble and expelled from the classroom, a program called Fresh Start has been helping those kids start over.

In fact, the program has been helping students from many area schools, including Niles, Brandywine, Buchanan and even Berrien Springs for 15 years and Friday (February 26) an open house will be held for interested parents and students who want to get a second chance at their education."

The full story may be found in the Niles Daily Star at:

www.nilesstar.com/2010/02/25/an-open-house-for-a-fresh-start/

Holding on by a Thread: What Happens When the Manufacturing Jobs Vanish?

In today's Detroit News is a story about folks working in a machine shop near Detroit. It is a story about the workers at one manufacturer who are struggling. This dramatic quote is from the article which tells a story of the new working poor in Michigan:

"You feel the whole thing's a swindle," says Cindi Borbi, the 59-year-old account manager behind a desk behind a cloud of cigarette smoke. Her husband took his life last year after being let go from his auto supply firm. He left his wife a broken heart, a mound of debt and a house she can't pay for. "I'm looking for a basement if you've got one."

www.detnews.com/article/20100225/METRO08/2250419/LeDuff--Blue-collar-workers-hanging-on-by-thread#ixzz0gXmM2mRM

Millions of Unemployed Face Years Without Jobs

An article from the New York Times discussed the growth of "new poor" in America. These new poor are not recipients of generational poverty (People whose parents and grandparents passed down poverty conditions), but those who recently lost their jobs and cannot find suitable employment in the economic recession.

Economists fear that the nascent recovery will leave more people behind than in past recessions, failing to create jobs in sufficient numbers to absorb the record-setting ranks of the long-term unemployed.

Call them the new poor: people long accustomed to the comforts of middle-class life who are now relying on public assistance for the first time in their lives — potentially for years to come.

Yet the social safety net is already showing severe strains. Roughly 2.7 million jobless people will lose their unemployment check before the end of April unless Congress approves the Obama administration’s proposal to extend the payments, according to the Labor Department.

This is why the timing is as important as ever to focus on poverty reduction in hand with economic growth and job creation. Improving and expanding educational initiatives could be a key factor in the upcoming years:

Some labor experts say the basic functioning of the American economy has changed in ways that make jobs scarce — particularly for older, less-educated people like Ms. Eisen, who has only a high school diploma.

Large companies are increasingly owned by institutional investors who crave swift profits, a feat often achieved by cutting payroll. The declining influence of unions has made it easier for employers to shift work to part-time and temporary employees. Factory work and even white-collar jobs have moved in recent years to low-cost countries in Asia and Latin America. Automation has helped manufacturing cut 5.6 million jobs since 2000 — the sort of jobs that once provided lower-skilled workers with middle-class paychecks.

History is not exactly favoring a quick revival of jobs:

After the recessions in 1990 and in 2001, 31 and 46 months passed before employment returned to its previous peaks. The economy was growing, but companies remained conservative in their hiring.

Some 34 million people were hired into new and existing private-sector jobs in 2000, at the tail end of an expansion, according to Labor Department data. A year later, in the midst of recession, hiring had fallen off to 31.6 million. And as late as 2003, with the economy again growing, hiring in the private sector continued to slip, to 29.8 million.

It was a jobless recovery: Business was picking up, but it simply did not translate into more work. This time, hiring may be especially subdued, labor economists say.

It is important we focus on securing our social nets, making it possible for our citizens to build assets, retrain our workforce for modern jobs and make education more accessible for all. These issues, on top of blockbuster topics such as health care and energy, should make this a particularly challenging decade. During this time of rebuilding, it is important that we shed the "me-first" mentality and focus on values that encourage sustainability for entire communities.

Read the full article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/business/economy/21unemployed.html?pagewanted=2&em

Nominees sought for annual George Awards

From the Battle Creek Enquirer:

The Battle Creek Enquirer is accepting nominations for the 2010 George Awards, continuing a 53-year tradition of honoring area residents who take it upon themselves to make positive changes in their communities.

The honorees, selected for good works done in 2009, will be recognized at a reception April 21 at the Battle Creek Country Club.

Former Enquirer Publisher Robert B. Miller Sr. instituted the annual George Awards in 1957, recognizing people who "don't wait around for George to do it," but instead take the initiative and do things to benefit others in the community.

George recipients generally are people responsible for spearheading projects -- either one-time events or ongoing efforts -- that otherwise would not have existed. In order to qualify, the project also cannot be part of that person's regular job duties.

Read the full article:

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20100221/NEWS01/2210331/1002/Nominees-sought-for-annual-George-Awards

Michigan Schools Look at Cutting Music & Arts

"The arts are an initial way of communicating," said Woodson Reid, who headed (Detroit Public Schools) fine arts until last year. "Little children explain everything with their images and creations."

Such creations foster eye-hand coordination. "But our kids can be in the third or fourth grade," she said, "and still don't know how to hold scissors."

Antonia Caretto, a Farmington Hills clinical psychologist, said it all boils down to mental development.

"The more we can develop both sides of the brain," she said, "the better the long-term implications for creative problem-solving," which might be key to keeping this country competitive in a globalized world,"

according to an article in today's Detroit News, school districts in Michigan may be considering cutting programs in the arts and music due to financial difficulties in school funding from the state.

The full article can be found at:

www.detnews.com/article/20100222/SCHOOLS/2220332/Arts-lose-out-in-Metro-school-cuts#ixzz0gGKjWgRk

Onus of eviction falls heavier on poor black women, research shows

From the New York Times:

In an article in the New York Times, research conducted in Milwaukee demonstrates how the onus eviction falls heavier on black women than others. An excerpt from the article:

“Just as incarceration has become typical in the lives of poor black men, eviction has become typical in the lives of poor black women,” said Matthew Desmond, a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin whose research on trends in Milwaukee since 2002 provides a rare portrait of gender patterns in inner-city rentals.

The study found that one of every 25 renter-occupied households in the city is evicted each year. In black neighborhoods, the rate is one in 14. These figures include only court-ordered evictions; the true toll, experts say, is greater because far more tenants, under threat of eviction, move in with relatives, into more run-down apartments or, sometimes, into homeless shelters.

Women from largely black neighborhoods in Milwaukee constitute 13 percent of the city’s population, but 40 percent of those evicted. Housing lawyers in Los Angeles and New York described a similar predominance of minority women, including Hispanic women, in eviction cases. (The figures do not include displaced renters from foreclosed properties.)

Even for working mothers, evictions and the ensuing damage to social ties, schooling and credit ratings can be an ever-hovering threat. Clarissa Adams, 38, a mother of three in Milwaukee, has been evicted four times in 10 years and is now trying desperately to break the pattern.

Since July she has shared a $570-a-month two-bedroom apartment with her daughters, ages 15, 18 and 23, and two small grandchildren. She is studying for a degree in social services and lost her job as a cashier in the fall after a dispute with her boss.

Unable to pay the last three months rent, Ms. Adams received some emergency assistance through Community Advocates, a private group. To stave off eviction, she promised to pay the landlord $1,000 by Feb. 15, just as her tax refund arrived. She owes an additional $955 by March 1 and hopes to scrape the money together while she looks for a job.

Previous evictions sent her into a deep depression, she said, and had temporarily split up the family, with her children staying a relative who did not want her.

“We just need someplace where we can be a family,” Ms. Adams said.

Eviction has devastating affects on both families and the communities who suffer them. To lose one's home is to lose the ultimate source of stability in life, making it extremely difficult maintain steady work. It creates a downward spiral which often can lead to depression and long-term government dependence.

Read the full article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/19/us/19evict.html?pagewanted=1&hpw

Food stamps, child services fuel Michigan budget plan

From the Associated Press:

LANSING — Gov. Jennifer Granholm's latest budget proposal would hire hundreds of caseworkers to deal with rising demand for food stamps and to boost child welfare services in Michigan.

It won't be easy to find the extra money needed to hire the workers given the state's budget problems. The state must hire more child welfare workers as the result of a federal lawsuit.

Lawmakers on Thursday began hearings on the proposed Department of Human Services budget. Granholm's proposal would increase DHS spending by more than $100 million from the state's general fund for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

The department's overall proposed budget of $7 billion is paid for mostly with federal money that covers a portion of welfare payments to children and families and other costs.

Understaffed Department of Human Service offices our a common theme across the state of Michigan. The situation has become so desperate in some areas, that leaders are searching for ways to prevent violence from occurring on behalf of frustrated workers at these offices. Hiring additional staff would be a beneficial way to support our needy population and delivery services more efficiently. The quicker we can send services to these people, the quicker they can stabilize their lives and actually depend less on others to support them.

See the full article:

http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/food_stamps_child_services_fue.html