Policy Research Reports

Examines Idaho's rate of tobacco, alcohol and drug use among Idaho youth; explores the individual, family and economic impacts of substance use and abuse; and provides an overview of state policies that work to reduce substance use and abuse.

Early Care, Early Learning & Education

Idaho KIDS COUNT Data Report:

2008 Early Childhood Data Report

This Idaho KIDS COUNT Data Report measures 20 data indicators to assess how Idaho young children are faring.

Data Report

Idaho KIDS COUNT Policy Brief: The Status of Child Care in Idaho

This Policy Brief is the first in a four-part series which examines the need for child care in Idaho; the availability of quality child care settings; and the status of public supports to assist low-income working parents with child care need.

Policy Brief: The Status of Child Care in Idaho

Idaho KIDS COUNT Policy Brief:

Affordability of Child Care in Idaho

This Policy Brief is the second in a four-part series which examines the need for child care in Idaho; the availability of quality child care settings; and the status of public supports to assist low-income working parents with child care need.

Policy Brief: Affordability of Child Care in Idaho

NEW Idaho KIDS COUNT Policy Brief:

Quality Child Care in Idaho

This Policy Brief is one of a four-part series which examines the need for child care in Idaho; the availability of quality child care settings; and the status of public supports to assist low-income working parents with child care need.

Policy Brief: Quality of Child Care in Idaho

NEW Idaho KIDS COUNT Policy Brief:

Idaho's Quality Child Care Rating System

Policy Brief: Idaho's Quality Child Care Rating

Do Young Kids Count in Idaho?

Surveys and analyzes Idaho's record of passing early childhood legislation and reviews existing laws that impact the well-being status of young children.

Educational Neglect: The Harsh Reality of No Child Left Behind

Examines the concept of educational neglect and truancy and its impact on outcomes for Idaho youth; illuminates the lack of a uniform state system to monitor and track students including home school students as a causal factor to Idaho's current high rate of school-age children that are unaccounted for; and explores policy solutions.

Public Perceptions of Early Care and Education: Statewide Public Opinion Poll

A statewide survey by the Boise State University Social Science Research Center which measures public attitudes about early care and education issues and the need for increased public support for child care and early education programs.

Youth and Young Adult Issues

Bridge to Adulthood for Idaho Youth: Going Solo

Profiles Idaho's 18-24 year old population with regard to population demographics, work and education and discusses the challenges they face as they transition to adulthood. It explores changes in the transition to adult independence over time.

Bridge to Adulthood for Idaho Youth: Learning and Earning

Examines today's reality for young adults, comparing Idaho young people to their peers around the nation with an emphasis on preparation for work.

Bridge to Adulthood for Idaho Youth: On Their Own

Looks at how Idaho's young adults move into the world of work. Explores the skills and abilities of the 18-24 year old workforce in the context of the jobs available and skills required.

Family and Economic Issues

Stresses on Idaho Families: Nurturing Father Involvement

Examines economic stresses and how they impact father relationships, violence and other negative influences on children.

Stresses on Idaho Families: Economic Insecurities

Explores the child well-being indicator -- the percent of children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment and its' impact on outcomes for children. Included is a general discussion of child poverty, its causes and potential policy solutions.

Low-Income Working Families with Young Children

Profiles low-income working families in Idaho with young children and examines current state child care policy and its impact on these families.

OTHER POLICY REPORTS

Policy Matters

The Policy Matters research and report conducted by the Center for the Study of Social Policy provides a 50-state overview of 20 state policies identified that improve opportunities for children and families. It provides a research summary on policy effectiveness, highlights key policy measures, and presents the status of policy in each state and District of Columbia according to these policy measures.

Kids' Share 2008: How Children Fare in the Federal Budget

Kids' Share 2008, a second annual report by the Urban Institute, looks comprehensively at trends in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Key findings suggest that historically children have not been a budget priority. In 2007, this trend continued, as children's spending did not keep pace with GDP growth. Absent a policy change, children's spending will continue to be squeezed in the next decade.

Child Health and Safety

Rural Children Increasingly Rely on Medicaid and State Child Health Insurance Programs for Medical Care

Examines heath care coverage for children living in rural families compared to their big-city counterparts.

Homeland Insecurity - America's Children at Risk

Report by Every Child Matters Education Fund which shows the challenges families face in raising healthy children. It shows that government policy is negatively impacting many of these families. It shows that some states do much better for children than others. And it examines how a $500 billion invest-in-kids initiative would improve the life changes of all children, keep the U.S. competitive in a global economy, and help to support an aging population.

Frame Works Institute - Children's Oral Health

Education

From Cradle to Career - Quality Counts 2007

Editorial Projects in Education Research Center reports on state's efforts to improve public education. It provides a cradle-to-career perspective on the importance of education throughout a person's lifetime, including 50-state ratings on Chance-for-Success Index and K-12 Achievement Index.

Early Care and Education

State Child Care Assistance Policies 2008: Some Steps Forward, More Progress Needed

Report by the National Women's Law Center which examines the progress states have made in providing improvements in child care assistance policies between 2006-2007.

Hearing on Economic and Societal Costs of Poverty

Testimony of Jan Knitzer, Ed. D. to the House Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. Congress on the economic and societal costs of poverty and what we need to do for the next generation now to ensure the future productivity of the U.S. economy.

Quality Pre-k for All State Legislative Report

Legislative report of all 50 states conducted by The Trust for Early Education that finds that even in tough fiscal times, many states recognize the importance of investing in young children.

The Cost of Waiting - Benefits of Early Intervention

The Benefits of Prekindergarten for Middle Income Children

This policy report analyzes what the research says about access to and gains made in high-quality preschool programs by children from middle income families.

Early Childhood Education: How Important are the Cost-Savings to the School System?

Outlines the key aspects of investment in early childhood education.

High Quality Preschool: Why We Need it and What it Looks Like

A fact sheet that provides information from research on the specifications of a quality early education program and some of the benefits to children, families, and the community.

The Universal vs. Targeted Debate: Should the United States Have Preschool for All?

Explores the debate over universal vs. targeted preschool programs.

The Effects of Universal Pre-K on Cognitive Development

In this study of Oklahoma's universal pre-K program, the authors relied on a strict birthday eligibility criterion to compare "young" kindergarten children who just completed pre-K to "old" pre-K children just beginning pre-K. The authors conclude that Oklahoma's universal pre-K program has succeeded in enhancing the school readiness of a diverse group of children.

The Productivity Argument for Investing in Young Children

The authors suggest that an effective way to generate a return on investment would be to focus on early care and education.

Effects of Preschool on Educational Achievement

In this working paper, the author suggests that Universal pre-K appears to be a promising policy tool to help schools close the educational achievement gap.

Right Start for America's Newborns - Trends

Idaho - A Special Supplement to Education Week's Quality Counts 2008

Investing in Disadvantaged Young Children Is Good Economics and Good Public Policy

James Heckman, University of Chicago. Testimony before the Joint Economic Committee. June 23, 2007

Pre-Kindergarten Education in Idaho (July 2008)

Dr. Geoffrey Black & Dr. Chris Loucks, Boise State University Center for Business & Economic Research.

Cost/ Benefit Research

Voters Attitudes Toward Pre-K Survey

Prevention and Early Intervention Programs for Youth

List of Cost Benefit Studies

Early Intervention on a Large Scale

Hearing on Economic and Societal Costs of Poverty

The Trust for Early Education - State of the State Analysis

Child Welfare and Mental Health

Increasing Family Permanence for Children in Welfare

Idaho KINCARE Coalition brochure

Idaho GrandFacts:

A State Fact Sheet for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children

Is Kinship Care Good for Kids?

Informational report done by CLASP (Center for Law and Social Policy).

Casey Family Programs: Kinship Care White Paper

Welfare Reform after Ten years: A State-by-State Analysis (June 2008)

This survey ranks and grades states by the success of their anti-poverty efforts and by the reform policies they adopted.

Cradle to Prison Pipeline Campaign of the Children's Defense Fund (2007)

This CDF report documents America's Cradle to Prison Pipeline, an urgent national crisis at the intersection of poverty and race that puts Black boys at a one in three lifetime risk of going to jail, and Latino boys at a one in six lifetime risk of the same fate. Tens of thousands of children and teens are sucked into the Pipeline each year.

Youth and Young Adults

Family Economics

State-by-State Costs of Child Poverty in the U.S.

Human Services Policy Center recently released a report which documents the cost of poverty on a national and state by state basis. This report reveals the staggering economic costs associated with poverty.

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007

On August 26^th, 2008 the Census Bureau released their 2007 report on income, poverty and health insurance coverage featuring data from the 2007 American Community Survey (ACS) and the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS). The Census Bureau's CPS-ASEC produces the official national estimates of poverty, as well as estimates of income and health insurance coverage. In addition to the national-level data, the report provides state-level health insurance estimates.

Childhood Poverty Is Found to Portend High Adult Costs - Rural Mothers More Likely to Work, but at Lower Wages

Study by Carsey Institute finds rural mothers with children under age 6 have higher employment rates than their urban counterparts, but have higher poverty rates, lower wages, and lower family income.

States Ranked on the Basis of Child Well-Being for Children in Low-Income Families

Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT project examines the well-being of children in low-income families who have higher risks for negative outcomes to help illuminate how states are doing in providing resources for the most vulnerable children.

Child Care Use by Low-Income Families: Variations Across States (June 2008)

This research brief by Child Trends provides new estimates to show the variation across the 50 states in the use of nonparental child care, the types of child care used, and parents' experiences with child care problems that interfere with their work schedules.

The Well-Being of Children in Working Poor and Other Families: 1997 and 2004 (September 2008)

This brief by Child Trends explores the changes in the well-being of children in working poor families and other families of all income levels between 1997 and 2007. It also compares the 2004 well-being of children in working poor families with non-working poor families.

New at Idaho KIDS COUNT

NEW Idaho KIDS COUNT Policy Brief: Quality Child Care in Idaho

This policy brief is part of a four-part series which examines the need for child care in Idaho; the availability of quality child care settings; and the status of public supports to assist low-income working parents with child care need.

Policy Brief

NEW Idaho KIDS COUNT Policy Brief: Idaho's Quality Child Care Rating System

Policy Brief

NEW Idaho KIDS COUNT Data Report: 2008 Early Childhood Data Report

This data report measures 20 data indicators to assess how Idaho young children are faring.

Data Report

3rd Annual IVC Fall Forum Forum a Success!

The 3rd Annual IVC Fall Forum was held on October 24, 2008 in Boise. Click here for more information on this event.

NATIONAL REPORT:

Kids' Share 2008: How Children Fare in the Federal Budget: Kids to Receive Declining Share of Federal Spending

Kids' Share 2008, a second annual report by the Urban Institute, looks comprehensively at trends in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Key findings suggest that historically children have not been a budget priority. In 2007, this trend continued, as children's spending did not keep pace with GDP growth. Absent a policy change, children's spending will continue to be squeezed in the next decade.