-
White House beefs up child care block grants
February 29, 2024 | News, FinanceA new rule caps the total amount low-income families have to pay for child care at 7% of their income and directs states to pay child care providers more fairly and on time.
-
AI could help clear food stamp backlogs plaguing some states
| News, Emerging TechStates are increasingly seeing it as a way to better process public benefit programs amid workforce shortages and outdated technology issues. But change can be incremental amid policy and money concerns.
-
4 considerations for launching an effective digital ID system
| Digital Government, NewsCOMMENTARY | Successful digital identification programs need to provide equal access, security, interoperability and user convenience.
-
More than 17M low-income households will experience service disruptions if internet subsidy ends
| News, Digital GovernmentWithout the the Affordable Connectivity program, millions of families could lose internet access that they rely on for work, school and health care, new survey data shows.
-
Bathroom bills are back—broader and stricter—in several states
| News, ManagementState lawmakers are continuing efforts to prohibit transgender people from using public restrooms and other “sex-designated spaces,” including domestic violence shelters and crisis centers, which experts say could violate anti-discrimination laws and jeopardize federal funding.
-
As COVID-19 emergency funding dries up, some rural schools may face a steep fiscal cliff in 2024
| News, ManagementLower-income districts are likely to face bigger budget reductions, along with districts who spent relief aid on teacher salaries and new faculty hires.
-
One state looks to collect multiyear data to address the mental health crisis
February 28, 2024 | News, ManagementOhio has launched a $20 million research project to study the social and biological factors influencing mental health. Researchers hope the study will continue for two decades and deliver actionable insights for policymakers nationwide.
-
Traffic deaths decline slightly, but remain higher than before the pandemic
| News, InfrastructureSafety experts have struggled to pinpoint why traffic and pedestrian fatalities have remained so stubbornly high.
-
Amid rising costs, states scramble to budget for natural disasters
| News, FinanceThe U.S. set a new record for billion-dollar climate disasters in 2023. State budgets are increasingly shouldering the costs of more frequent and expensive weather events.
-
With federal funds flowing, weatherization workforce poised for growth
| News, WorkforceIndustry and community leaders are trying to build organizational systems to match the supply of weatherization workers with growing demand.