Suchergebnisse

Since Apartheid, the South African government transformed and expanded the social grants system to improve the well-being of its vulnerable populations. Despite increased efforts, a sub-section of the grant-eligible population is not reached. Too little is known about the factors that contribute to grant receipt, especially for the household as a whole. This paper examines the household and community characteristics associated with grant receipt among poor households in KwaZulu-Natal. We add to previous work by assessing grant receipt at the household level, examining receipt of the two major grants and analysing correlates in a multivariate framework. While associations with grant receipt are complex and varied, we find higher grant receipt (especially Child Support Grant) among more disadvantaged households. We also find that characteristics across multiple domains are needed to best distinguish household grant receipt. We discuss theoretical implications for models of grant receipt and practical implications for improving grants access.

Many young children in the United States are thriving and have access to the conditions and resources they need to grow up healthy. However, a substantial number of young children face more challenging conditions such as: poverty; food insecurity; exposure to violence; and inadequate access to health care, well-funded quality schools, and mental health care. In many cases, the historical origins of unequal access to crucial supports for children's physical, emotional, and cognitive development are rooted in policies that intentionally segregated and limited various populations' access to resources and create opportunity gaps that intertwine and compound to affect academic, health, and economic outcomes over an individual's life course and across generations. Closing the Opportunity Gap for Young Children, identifies and describes the causes, costs, and effects of the opportunity gap in young children and explores how disparities in access to quality educational experiences, health care, and positive developmental experiences from birth through age eight intersect with key academic, health, and economic outcomes. The report identifies drivers of these gaps in three key domains--education, mental health, and physical health--and offers recommendations for policy makers for addressing these gaps so that all children in the United States have the opportunity to thrive. In addition, the report offers a detailed set of recommendations for policy makers, practitioners, community organizations, and philanthropic organizations to reduce opportunity gaps in education, health, and social-emotional development.

Intro -- FrontMatter -- Reviewers -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Summary -- Part I: Introduction and Context -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Care and Education Landscape for Children from Birth Through Age 8 -- Part II: The Science of Child Development and Early Learning -- 3 The Interaction of Biology and Environment -- 4 Child Development and Early Learning -- Part II Summation -- Part III: Implications of the Science for Early Care and Education -- 5 The Importance of Continuity for Children Birth Through Age 8 -- 6 Educational Practices -- 7 Knowledge and Competencies -- Part IV: Developing the Care and Education Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 -- 8 Overview of Factors That Contribute to Quality Professional Practice -- 9 Higher Education and Ongoing Professional Learning -- 10 Qualification Requirements, Evaluation Systems, and Quality Assurance Systems -- 11 Status and Well-Being of the Workforce -- Part IV Summation -- Part V: Blueprint for Action -- 12 A Blueprint for Action -- Appendixes -- Appendix A: Biosketches of Committee Members and Staff -- Appendix B: Public Session Agendas -- Appendix C: Information-Gathering from the Field -- Appendix D: Historical Timeline: Preparation for the Care and Education Workforce in the United States -- Appendix E: Credentials by Setting and State -- Appendix F: Tools and Examples to Inform Collaborative Systems Change -- Appendix G: Funding and Financing Examples.