The Power of Talking to Your Baby

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/10/the-power-of-talking-to-your-baby

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

10 April 2013

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By the time a poor child is three, she will have heard 30 million fewer words than a 3-year-old child from a professional family. Research shows that word gap is what makes the poor less likely to do well in school. The city of Providence, RI, is doing something about it.

The Power of Nursing

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/the-power-of-nursing

David Bornstein

The New York Times

6 May 2012

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In 2010, 5.9 million children were reported as abused or neglected in the United States. The Nurse-Family Partnership, or NFP, arranges for registered nurses to make regular home visits to first-time low-income or vulnerable mothers, starting early in their pregnancies and continuing until their child is 2.

The Best Way to End Homelessness

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/07/the-best-way-to-end-homelessness/398282

Alana Semuels

The Atlantic

11 July 2015

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America has the largest number of homeless women and children in the industrialized world - it’s a depressing statistic exacerbated by a housing crisis that forced thousands of families out onto the street. The first-ever large-scale study on the topic finds that permanent, stable housing can be more cost-effective than shelters.

Trusting Families to Help Themselves

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/trusting-families-to-help-themselves

David Bornstein

The New York Times

19 July 2011

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To give support to struggling families without prescribing solutions requires respect and discipline. The Family Independence Initiative (F.I.I.) encourages low-income families to define their own goals and work towards them in mutual support groups, while carefully documenting their successes.

For Drug Users, a Swift Response Is the Best Medicine

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/for-drug-users-hope-in-a-swift-response

David Bornstein

The New York Times

8 January 2013

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In Vermont, a judge and a family services organization created RapidReferal – a process which offers addicts treatment immediately and has lowered recidivism. Funded by Medicaid, the program has had demonstrable impact, namely, a decrease in recidivism.

Guiding Families to a Fair Day in Court

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/guiding-poor-families-to-a-fair-day-in-court

David Bornstein

The New York Times

29 May 2015

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Millions of families of arrested individuals do not know what to do to help, how to obtain a lawyer, or what the process entails in the court system. Created by Albert Cobarrubius Justice Project, participatory defense is a type of community organizing that teaches and empowers people who face criminal charges. Individuals know how to work with attorneys in order to navigate the system and ultimately feel equipped to become drivers of their own change.

When Prisons Need to Be More Like Nursing Homes

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015/08/27/when-prisons-need-to-be-more-like-nursing-homes

Maura Ewing

The Marshall Project

27 August 2015

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The U.S. prison population is aging, which is costly because older inmates need more care. Some states have responded by creating special wards, having the young inmates care for the old, or building nursing homes.

Out of Poverty, Family-Style

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/14/out-of-poverty-family-style

David Bornstein

The New York Times

14 July 2011

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A non-traditional program called the Family Independence Initiative (F.I.I.), uses a radically different approach from the traditional American social service model to empower entire families alleviate themselves from poverty. The results in multiple states thus far have been so striking, that this model of self-sufficiency may be able to have a significant impact reducing poverty nationwide.

If this was a pill, you'd do anything to get it

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/28/if-this-was-a-pill-youd-do-anything-to-get-it

Ezra Klein

The Washington Post

28 April 2013

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*Medical research has done wonders to rid populations of diseases; however, the U.S. health care system has failed to appropriate the right resources to Medicare patients with one or more chronic conditions. Health Quality Partners in Doylstown, PA enrolls Medicare patients with at least one chronic illness and hospitalization and sends a trained nurse to see them on a routine basis, whether they are healthy or sick. As a result, the HQP program has reduced hospitalizations and cut Medicare costs.

Prison Born

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/07/prison-born/395297

Sarah Yager

The Atlantic

1 July 2015

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More women are being incarcerated around the United States and that has spurred more institutions to create prison nurseries, which allow women to be with their newborns. It's not a new idea, but it's finding support among prison advocates as well as budget hawks because research shows nurseries can lower recidivism rates among mothers. The idea of children in prison remains controversial however.