Canadian Social Research Newsletter
May 25, 2008
Welcome to
the weekly Canadian Social Research Newsletter,
a listing of the new links added to the Canadian Social Research Links
website in the past week.
The
e-mail version of this week's issue of the newsletter is going out to 1886 subscribers.
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter
to see some notes and a disclaimer.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Canadian content
1. The Fiscal Monitor
for March 2008 (Department of Finance Canada) - May 23
2. What's
New from Human Resources and Social Development Canada in May 2008:
--- Performance
Tracking Directorate Reports
--- Investing in Seniors (recent federal government
measures that benefit seniors)
3. What's New from Statistics Canada:
--- Life after teenage motherhood - May 23
--- Low-income children
- May 23
--- Provincial labour force differences by level of education
- May 23
--- Work absences (1997-2007) - May 23
--- Consumer Price Index, April 2008 - May 22
--- Leading indicators,
April 2008 - May 21
--- Youth court statistics, 2006/2007
- May 20
--- Adult criminal court statistics, 2006/2007 - May 20
4. What's new from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (Toronto) - May 23
International content
5.
Poverty Dispatch: U.S. media coverage of social issues and programs (Institute
for Research on Poverty - University of Wisconsin-Madison)
6. U.S.
- The State of Health Insurance 2008
7. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Caseload
Composition and Leavers Synthesis Report (The Urban Institute) - March 2007
8. Australian Policy Online
Weekly Briefing - selected recent content
--- Preschool education in Australia
- Posted 12-05-2008
--- The role of vocational education and training in
welfare to work - Posted 12-05-2008
--- Burden of disease due to health
inequalities - Posted 12-05-2008
--- Key influences on health inequalities
- Posted 12-05-2008
--- People, places, processes: Reducing health inequalities
through balanced health approaches - Posted 12-05-2008
10. CRINMAIL 984,
985 (May 2008) - (Child Rights Information Network - CRIN)
Have a great week!
|
1. The Fiscal Monitor for March 2008
- May 23 |
Release of The Fiscal Monitor
May 23, 2008
Highlights
March 2008: budgetary deficit of $1.2 billion
April 2007 to March 2008: budgetary surplus of $10.2 billion after cost of measures
Related document:
The Fiscal Monitor - March 2008
HTML version
PDF
version (260K, 10 pages)
Source:
Department
of Finance Canada
- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Agriculture to Finance) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk.htm
| 2. What's
New from Human Resources and Social Development Canada in May 2008: |
What's New from Human Resources and Social Development Canada:
May 2008
Performance
Tracking Directorate Reports
In its Fourth Progress Report on the
management of grants and contributions released in April 2001, HRDC committed
to 'making the changes that are required to sustain improvements and to reporting
to Parliament on its progress.' As part of this commitment to openness and transparency,
we will continue to post relevant information to our web site relating to on-going
efforts to improve the management of grants and contributions at HRDC.
- incl.
links to eight national reports going back to 2001 and three program-specific
reports dating back to 2002 and 2003
Investing
in Seniors
- Highlights recent Government of Canada measures that benefit
seniors
HTML
version
PDF
version (62K, 2 pages)
- incl. * Tax Relief * Improving Old Age Security
* Investing In Canada's Future * Supporting Caregivers * Engaging
Seniors, Strengthening Communities
Related link:
- Go to the Human Resources and
Social Development Canada Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/hrsdc.htm
- Go to the Seniors (Social Research) Links
page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/seniors.htm
|
3. What's New from Statistics Canada: |
What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:
From the Perspectives on Labour and Income - May 2008 online edition: (May 23)
*Life
after teenage motherhood looks at women 30 to 39 years of age to determine
whether teenage childbearing is related to long-term socioeconomic characteristics,
notably educational attainment, labour force participation and living in low income.
Highlights
Full article:
HTML
PDF
(184K, 9 pages)
* Low-income
children examines the absence of change between 1989 and 2004 in the proportion
of children under 18 years of age living in a low-income family, despite a strong
economy since the 1990 to 1992 recession.
Highlights
Full article:
HTML
PDF
(168K, 10 pages)
* Provincial labour force
differences by level of education
Full
version: PDF (106K, 12 pages)
Given their varying natural resources,
Canada’s provinces and territories have developed their own industrial infrastructures
and labour markets. Nevertheless, education is always a major factor in the ability
to find a job.
* Work
absences
Full
version: PDF (164K, 10 pages)
Since 2000, both the incidence and the
number of days lost for personal reasons (illness or disability, and personal
or family responsibilities) have shown a rising trend. An aging workforce and
the growing proportion of women working are among the contributing factors.
May
21, 2008
Consumer
Price Index, April 2008
Consumer prices accelerated for the first
time in five months in April in the wake of higher gasoline prices and fewer incentives
on passenger vehicles. The Consumer Price Index rose 1.7% between April 2007 and
April 2008, up from the 1.4% increase in March.
May
21, 2008
Leading
indicators, April 2008
May 20, 2008
Youth
court statistics, 2006/2007
Fewer young people aged 12 to 17 have
been appearing before a judge since the enactment of the Youth Criminal Justice
Act (YCJA) in April 2003, and fewer are being sent to custody. There were 56,463
youth court cases completed during the 2006/2007 fiscal year. Although virtually
unchanged from the previous year, this amount was 26% lower than in 2002/2003,
the year prior to the enactment of the new legislation.
Complete
report (PDF - 236K, 23 pages)
Highlights
(HTML)
May 20, 2008
Adult
Criminal Court Statistics, 2006/2007
In 2006/2007, adult criminal
courts in Canada processed 372,084 cases involving 1,079,062 charges. The number
of cases processed was virtually unchanged from the previous year.
Complete
report (PDF - 256K, 21 pages)
Highlights
(HTML)
TIP: For info about incarceration rates
in Canada and the U.S., see:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/stats.htm#crime
("The United States has more people in prison, per capita, than any other country
in the world. More than China, more than Iran, more than oppressive dictatorships
the world over. And this is the model that Stephen Harper and the Conservatives
want to follow by implementing 'tougher' drug laws.")
- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Fisheries and Oceans to Veterans Affairs) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk2.htm
| 4. What's new from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (Toronto) - May 23 |
What's new from the
Childcare
Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) :
May 23, 2008
Promoting
children’s welfare in the Nordic countries
23 May 08
- Report from the Government of Finland describing and comparing the institutions
that promote the welfare of children and youth in Nordic countries.
Early
childhood in the Caribbean
23 May 08
- Research from the
Bernard van Leer Foundation exploring the development and socialization of children
under 5 years of age in two Caribbean countries.
Childcare
matters: What the public thinks about childcare in Northern Ireland
23 May 08
- Report from the Northern Ireland Childminding Association
presenting the findings from a survey conducted to obtain the public’s view
on child care.
Measuring
quality in family, friend, and neighbor child care: Conceptual and practical issues
23 May 08
- Brief from Child Care and Early Education Research Connections
exploring issues around measuring quality in family, friend and neighbour child
care in the US.
“Who’s
the boss?” Young children’s power and influence in an early childhood
classroom
23 May 08
- Report from ECRP examining the role
of power dynamics in child-child and teacher-child relationships and their impact
on the social community in an ECE classroom.
child care in the news
·
Early learning
‘goals’ condemned [UK]
22 May 08
·
Working
moms in perpetual crisis over shortage of after-school care [CA-NS]
21 May 08
· City school
kitchens ‘mothballed’ [UK]
21 May 08
·
Iglulik
woman walks for daycare [CA-NU]
19 May 08
·
Eco-daycare
centre introduces toddlers to ‘green’ [US]
17 May
08
Related Links:
Subscribe to the CRRU
email announcements list
Sign up to receive email notices of updates
and new postings on the CRRU website which will inform you of policy developments
in early childhood care and education, new research and resources for policy,
newly released CRRU publications, and upcoming events of interest to the child
care and broader community.
Links to child care sites
in Canada and elsewhere
CRRU
Publications - briefing notes, factsheets, occasional papers and other
publications
ISSUE
files - theme pages, each filled with contextual information and links
to further info
Source:
Childcare
Resource and Research Unit (CRRU)
- Go to the Non-Governmental Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd2.htm
| 5. Poverty Dispatch:
U.S. media coverage of social issues and programs (Institute for Research on Poverty - University of Wisconsin-Madison) |
Poverty Dispatch
(U.S). ===> the content of this link changes twice a week
- links to
news items from the American press about poverty, welfare reform, child welfare,
education, health, hunger, Medicare and Medicaid, etc.
Latest issues of the Poverty Dispatch:
May
22, 2008
* Privatization of Social Services - Indiana
* Medicaid
Cuts and Dental Coverage - California
* Medicaid Prescription Drug Plan -
Pennsylvania
* State Children's Health Insurance Program - Colorado
*
Florida Low-cost Health Care Plan
* Rising Costs and Assistance Agencies -
Illinois
* Affordable Housing - Ohio, New Jersey
* Home Foreclosures and
Renters
* Retirement-age Women Living in Poverty
* Bank Accounts and Savings
for the Low-income
* States and No Child Left Behind Proficiency Levels
* Juvenile Offender Sentencing Laws - Illinois
* Sentencing Guidelines and
Discrimination
May
19, 2008
* State Budget Cuts to SSI and TANF Programs - California
* State Funding and Reimbursement for Medicaid - Hawaii, Illinois
* Foster
Care Programs and Outreach to Families
* Foster Youth and Transitions to Adulthood
* Increased Need for Aid and Food Assistance
* Rising Food Costs and Obesity
* State Health Care Program - Oklahoma
* State Minimum Wages - Minnesota,
Connecticut
* Prisoner Re-entry Programs and Recidivism - Kansas, Illinois
* Early Childhood Education - Dallas, TX
* Poverty, Educational Achievement,
and School Funding
* Racial Disparities in School Suspensions - Minnesota
IRP compiles and distributes
Poverty Dispatches, links to Web-based news items dealing with poverty, welfare
reform, and related topics twice a week.
Each Dispatch lists links to current
news in popular print media.
Anyone wishing to receive Poverty Dispatches
by e-mail should send a request to rsnell@ssc.wisc.edu.
Past Poverty Dispatches - back to June 2006
Source:
Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
[ University of Wisconsin-Madison ]
-
Go to the Links to American Government Social Research page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (A-J) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us2.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (M-Z) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us3.htm
| 6. U.S. - The State of Health Insurance 2008 |
The
State of Health Insurance, 2008 * (24 pages)
Updated
February 2008
"Our neighbors to the north have been able to spend the same
amount of money administering free, universal coverage to its 27 million citizens
as the single region of New England in the U.S. (which has a meager population
of 2.5 million). Obviously, costs have gone haywire. Have the added costs provided
more quality in health care? Or are these costs simply attributable to mismanagement
and inefficiencies? Expect this issue to come up more during this year's election
coverage."
*NOTE: Clicking the Download button on the home page takes you to a registration page where you must provide your first and last name, the state where you live and your email address, in order to download a free PDF copy of the complete (556K, 24 pages) report. If you have an aversion to giving out that kind of personalinfo, or if you don't live in the U.S., just make everything up. For example, I registered as Steve Harpie from New York, and my fictitious (but good enough to get me in..) email address was stevieh@verizon.com --- totally made up.
Source:
Insurance Research Organization - "Health insurance analysis you can trust"
National Association of Health Underwriters
(NAHU)
"The National Association of Health Underwriters represents
more than 20,000 licensed health insurance agents, brokers, consultants and benefit
professionals through more than 200 chapters across America. NAHU members service
the health insurance needs of large and small employers as well as people seeking
individual health insurance coverage."
NOTE: this 24-page report cites a number of credible sources in its analysis, but the organization itself doesn't show up in a Google search, nor does the report offer any information about the group's affiliation or its funding. There's no website as such for an American Insurance Research Organization, but strangely enough, the health insurance report has its own domain name (as if to avoid being tied in with any particular organization). Curiously, I can't find a single reference to this report or to the Insurance Research Organization on the NAHU website.
-
Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (M-Z) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us3.htm
|
7. Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) Caseload Composition and Leavers Synthesis Report
- March 2007 |
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Caseload Composition and Leavers Synthesis Report
By Gregory Acs and Pamela J. Loprest
March 2007
Posted
to Web: September 28, 2007
Abstract
and Introduction (HTML)
Complete
report (PDF - 880K, 185 pages)
Since the passage of federal welfare
reform in 1996, policy makers have been concerned about the well-being of families
that have left welfare as well as those who have remained on the caseload. This
report synthesizes the most up-to-date research about what is known about the
composition of the TANF caseload and the status of TANF leavers, and how this
has changed over time. This synthesis is supplemented by tabulations of data from
the National Survey of America's Families (NSAF), the Survey of income and Program
Participation (SIPP) and the Current Population Survey (CPS) on the demographics,
economic situation, and barriers to work of current and former TANF recipients
over time.
The key questions addressed in the report are:
* How do the characteristics of the TANF caseload compare with the AFDC/TANF characteristics 5 and 10 years ago? In particular, is the caseload more or less disadvantaged than in the past, especially with respect to their employability?
* What are the characteristics and outcomes for families that recently left the TANF rolls compared with families on TANF, and compared with families that left the TANF rolls 5 and 10 years ago? Have TANF leavers become more or less disadvantaged? Are families better off after leaving the TANF than when they were on the welfare rolls?
Source:
The Urban Institute
Related links:
According to the
Urban Institute's Policy
Jargon Decoder:
TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) : A federal grant program to states, enacted as part of PRWORA, that seeks to promote state flexibility; keep children in their own homes or homes of relatives; end parental dependence on welfare by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage; discourage pregnancy outside of marriage; and encourage formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
PRWORA (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996) : Welfare reform act under the Clinton Administration that had the primary goal of helping welfare recipients become self-supporting; abolished open-ended funding of welfare and replaced it with the TANF block grant.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families - from Wikipedia
NOTE: TANF and PRWORA came into effect in the U.S. in April of 1996, at the same time as the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) did here in Canada. What an amazing coincidence (not). The American shift from an entitlement-based* program to a federal block grant to states was very similar to the change here in The Great White North, from a 50-50 fed-prov cost-shared program to a block fund. There were many similarities among the two federal governments' shift to block funding --- along with some basic differences, not the least of which was an impressive package of accountability, benchmark and control measures built in to the American initiative vs. the wishy-washy Canadian federal government's sole stipulation that the provinces couldn't impose a residency rule for welfare applicants.
On a more fundamental note, researchers should be wary of comparing Canadian programs of last-resort financial assistance with those in the U.S. Unlike the Canadian welfare system, state welfare programs under the federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) initiative exclude single people and childless couples, who must apply to the national Food Stamp program and to residual aid programs where they live (if there are any such programs, which is not always the case), as well as people with disabilities (who must apply under the separate American Social Security program). In Canada, singles and childless couples make up close to 60% of the total welfare caseload and households headed by people with disabilities account for about a third of the total caseload. These are just a few of the more significant reasons why Canadian welfare shouldn't be compared with American programs under TANF.
[*As an
aside, the expression "entitlement-based program" seems to get many centre-to-right
leaners' knickers in a knot because they interpret the word "entitlement" as a
right, as in "deadbeats think they're entitled (or have a right to) welfare".
In fact, an etitlement-based program is one where applicants can qualify for aid
only if they are entitled, i.e., if they meet the eligibility criteria.]
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (M-Z) Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us3.htm
| 8. Australian Policy Online Weekly Briefing - selected recent
content --- Preschool education in Australia - Posted 12-05-2008 -- The role of vocational education and training in welfare to work - Posted 12-05-2008 --- Burden of disease due to health inequalities - Posted 12-05-2008 --- Key influences on health inequalities - Posted 12-05-2008 --- People, places, processes: Reducing health inequalities through balanced health approaches - Posted 12-05-2008 |
APO Weekly Briefing ===> the
content of this link changes each week
The content of this page changes each
week, and it includes links to a few book/report reviews, about two dozen new
reports, a few job ads and 60 events (mostly conferences) of interest to social
researchers...
Source:
Australian
Policy Online (APO) - home page
With nearly 120 member centres and
institutes, Australian Policy Online offers easy access to much of the best Australian
social, economic, cultural and political research available online.
NOTE:
the APO home page includes links to the five most popular reports on the APO website,
and this list is updated each week.
Recent APO content:
Preschool
education in Australia
Posted 12-05-2008
Marilyn Harrington
/ Information and Research Services,
Parliamentary Library
This background note presents some of the key research
in the area of early childhood intervention and education that has informed Australian
policy making. It also provides an overview of current preschool education provision
in Australia and recent policy developments.
The
role of vocational education and training in welfare to work
Posted
12-05-2008
John Guenther, Ian Falk and Allan Arnott / National Centre for Vocational Education Research
This report investigates the role that vocational education and training (VET)
can play in the transition from welfare to work. Case studies showed that VET
can, and often does, help people move into paid work. However, target groups have
varied needs and the study concludes that the VET sector has more to do in catering
for these subgroups.
Burden
of disease due to health inequalities
Posted 12-05-2008
VicHealth
This document presents some recent research related to health inequalities with
a focus on inequitable burden of disease internationally, nationally and in Victoria,
the cost of health inequalities for society, families and individuals and the
effect of health inequalities on specific populations.
Key
influences on health inequalities
Posted 12-05-2008
VicHealth
This document presents some recent research related to health inequalities with
a focus on the key influences on health, including access to work, education,
housing and community infrastructure, how these influences impact on health and
how access to these influences is inequitable.
People,
places, processes: Reducing health inequalities through balanced health approaches
Posted 12-05-2008
Mark Boyd and others / VicHealth
This document provides
an overview of current evidence from health promotion approaches, with the specific
aim of analysing their potential to reduce health inequalities.
APO Archive
The APO
archive is grouped into 23 subject areas, with entries appearing in reverse chronological
order.
* Ageing *Asia and the pacific * Citizenship and the law * Disability
* Economics and trade * Education * Employment and workplace relations * The environment
* Foreign policy and defence * Gender and sexuality * Health * Housing * Families
and households * Immigration and refugees * Income, poverty and wealth * Indigenous
* Media, communications and cultural policy * Politics and government * Population,
multiculturalism and ethnicity * Religion and faith * Rural and regional * Science
and technology * Social policy * Urban and regional planning * Youth
- Go to the Social Research Links in Other Countries (Non-Government) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/internatngo.htm
| 9. CRINMAIL
984, 985 (May 2008) |
From the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN):
22 May 2008
- CRINMAIL 985
* ARMED CONFLICT: Child Soldiers Global Report 2008
[publication]
* CHILD LABOUR: Modern policy and legislative responses to child
labour [publication]
* UNITED STATES: Supreme Court upholds child pornography
ban [news]
* VIET NAM: Call for proposals on Situation Analysis of Juvenile
Crime Prevention [news]
* INDIA: Chance to be part of Children's Advisory
Board [news]
**NEWS IN BRIEF**
**QUIZ**
20 May
2008 - CRINMAIL 984
* CANADA: Supreme Court to hear child rights and
religious beliefs case [news]
* GUATEMALA: Military officials on trial in
Spain for past abuses [news]
* SOUTH AFRICA: Ministers sued for teen incarceration
[news]
* GLOBAL: A matter of life or death: How 18 million children are relying
on the G8 to keep its promises [publication]
* CHINA: School safety questioned
after quake [news]
* PARTICIPATION: Council of Europe Call for expressions
of interest
* EMPLOYMENT: Save the Children UK - International Social Service
[job postings]
**NEWS IN BRIEF**
Earlier
issues of CRINMAIL
- links to 300+ earlier weekly issues, many of
which are special editions focusing on special themes, such as the 45th Session
of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of
the Child.
Source:
CRINMAIL(incl.
subscription info)
[ Child Rights
Information Network (CRIN) ]
- Go to the Children's Rights Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/chnrights.htm
Disclaimer/Privacy
Statement
Both Canadian
Social Research Links (the site) and this Canadian Social Research Newsletter
belong solely to me, Gilles Séguin.
I
am solely accountable for the choice of links presented therein and for the occasional
editorial comment - it's my time, my home computer, my experience, my biases,
my Rogers Internet account and my web hosting service.
I
administer the mailing list and distribute the weekly newsletter using software
on the web server of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Thanks, CUPE!
If you wish to subscribe to
the e-mail version of newsletter, go to the Canadian Social Research Newsletter
Online Subscription page:
http://lists.cupe.ca/mailman/listinfo/csrl-news
You can unsubscribe by
going to the same page or by sending me an e-mail message [ gilseg@rogers.com
]
------------------------
The e-mail version
of this newsletter is available only in plain text (no graphics, no hyperlinks,
no fancy bolding or italics, etc.) to avoid security problems with government
departments, universities and other networks with firewalls. The text-only version
is also friendlier for people using older or lower-end technology.
Privacy Policy:
The Canadian Social Research Newsletter mailing list
is not used for any purpose except to distribute each weekly issue.
I promise
not share any information on this list, nor to send you any junk mail.
Links presented in the Canadian Social Research Newsletter point to different
views about social policy and social programs.
There are some that I don't
agree with, so don't get on my case, eh...
To access earlier online
HTML issues of the Canadian Social Research Newsletter, go to the Newsletter page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/news.htm
Please feel free to distribute this newsletter as widely as you wish,
but please remember to mention Canadian Social Research Links when you do.
Cheers!
Gilles
E-MAIL:
gilseg@rogers.com