The Family Room Blog

Provisions in the nation’s new health care law, the Affordable Care Act, will help New York’s underserved Latino population get more access to health care, said Dr. Jaime Torres, Health and Human Services New York Regional Director, at a recent Latino legislative conference.

How are babies and toddlers affected by early trauma? And how can we help them heal? Those are key questions addressed by Tulane University’s Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health.

The statistics on recidivism are alarming. According to the 2006 national study Confronting Confinement: a Report of the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s Prisons indicates that 67 percent of former prisoners are rearrested and that 52 percent are re-incarcerated within three years of their release.

As the first day of spring approaches, many Americans look forward to picnics, outdoor sports, and lower utility bills. For the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR), springtime means the beginning of extreme weather conditions that can cause tornados.

The transition from being dependent on parents and family for most of our resources and support, to being independent and embracing the autonomy of adulthood is a challenging journey that everyone must face eventually.  For some teenagers and young adults, that transition is even more difficult because home is an unsafe place.

In the heart of the Rio Grande Valley, just miles from the Mexican border, in the small town of Weslaco, Texas, something wonderful is happening. Inside the bright and welcoming Francisco Flores Center, dozens of young children of migrant workers are getting the foundation they need to succeed in school.

Promise House, an ACF-supported shelter for homeless and runaway youth in Dallas, Texas, gives at-risk teens individualized support, encouragement and hope to live a better life. Under the leadership of Dr. Harriet Boorhem, the president of Promise House, staff work to provide a safe place for these kids to call home.

On March 8, nations around the globe commemorate International Women’s Day with events and ceremonies.

This day spotlights women’s economic, political and social achievements. The United Nations proclaimed this year’s theme, “Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty,” to focus on the important role rural women play to achieve food and nutrition security, generate income, and improve the livelihoods and well-being of their communities.

ACF’s programs have helped many women in both urban and rural settings lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

The more you know about the benefits of saving and the responsibilities of maintaining good credit, the more likely you are to build a solid credit history and avoid debt.  Financial education is especially critical for people with low incomes who need to create economic stability for themselves and their families.

You can’t always see the effects of child abuse. They go far beyond bruises and broken bones. Children who are beaten, sexually or emotionally abused or neglected suffer the consequences of adversity long after their outward wounds heal. Recent research suggests that children who endure “toxic stress”—sensing persistent threat but no protector—are at risk for a host of developmental, intellectual, emotional and behavioral problems as they grow up.