Recent Posts

More Households Used Food Pantries and Nutrition Programs During Recession (USDA, Amber Waves, December 2010)

Data from the Current Population Survey show that more households sought additional food resources from public and private sources during the recession. Since 2001, the number of households that reported obtaining emergency food from a food pantry has risen, with the largest increase occurring between 2007 and 2009.

Educational Achievement Disparities Among Black Males (The Council of the Great City Schools, October 2010)

A Call for Change: The Social and Educational Factors Contributing to the Outcomes of Black Males in Urban Schools presents an analysis of data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on how Black males are performing academically.

Young Women Make Strides in College Completion, but Men and Minorities Fall Behind (American Council on Education, October 2010)

A new report by the American Council on Education examines educational attainment trends by gender and race/ethnicity. It finds that each generation of young women in the United States continues to reach higher levels of postsecondary attainment. In 2007, women earned 62% of all associate degrees and 57% of bachelor’s degrees.

Most Small Businesses in Ottawa County Do Not Provide Health Insurance (Mlive.com, September 10, 2010)

According to a recent survey of 800 businesses with fewer than 50 employees, some 68% of small businesses in Ottawa County do not provide health insurance to some or all of their employees.  The most common reason for not offering health insurance, cited by 42% of employers, was the cost of premiums. The survey was…

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19.3% of American Children Are Underinsured (New England Journal of Medicine, August 2010)

A recently published analysis of the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health found that 19.3% of American children (14.1 million) were underinsured in 2007. That is more than the number of children who were uninsured (3.4 million) and the number who had insurance during only part of the year (7.6 million).

Report on Food Insecurity Among America’s Children (National Center for Children in Poverty, August 2010)

The National Center for Children in Poverty released a report entitled “Who Are America’s Poor Children: Examining Food Insecurity Among Children in the United States.”  The report that looks at how many children face food insecurity, factors associated with food insecurity, consequences of food insecurity for children, and the policies that address food security.