The National Directory of New Hires

[Excerpt] The National Directory of New Hires is a database that contains personal and financial data on nearly every working American, as well as those receiving unemployment compensation. Contrary to its name, the National Directory of New Hires includes more than just information on new employees. It is a database that includes information on (1) all newly hired employees, compiled from state reports (and reports from federal employers), (2) the quarterly wage reports of existing employees (in Unemployment Compensation (UC)-covered employment), and (3) unemployment compensation claims. The National Directory of New Hires was originally established to help states locate noncustodial parents living in a different state so that child support payments could be withheld from that parent’s paycheck. Since its enactment in 1996, the National Directory of New Hires has been extended to several additional programs and agencies to verify program eligibility, prevent or end fraud, collect overpayments, or assure that program benefits are correct. Although the directory is considered very effective, concerns about data security and the privacy rights of employees remain a part of debates regarding expanded access to the National Directory of New Hires

Fatherhood Initiatives: Connecting Fathers to Their Children

[Excerpt] In 2013, almost 25% of families with children (under age 18) were maintained by mothers. According to some estimates, about 60% of children born during the 1990s spent a significant portion of their childhood in a home without their father. Research indicates that children raised in single-parent families are more likely than children raised in two-parent families (with both biological parents) to do poorly in school, have emotional and behavioral problems, become teenage parents, and have poverty-level incomes. In hopes of improving the long-term outlook for children in single-parent families, federal, state, and local governments, along with public and private organizations, are supporting programs and activities that promote the financial and personal responsibility of noncustodial fathers to their children and increase the participation of fathers in the lives of their children. These programs have come to be known as “responsible fatherhood” programs. Sources of federal funding for fatherhood programs include the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, TANF state Maintenance-of-Effort (MOE) funding, Child Support Enforcement (CSE) funds, and Social Services Block Grant (Title XX) funds. The federal government’s support of fatherhood initiatives raises a wide array of issues. This report briefly examines the role of the CSE agency in fatherhood programs and discusses initiatives to promote and support father-child interaction outside the parents’ relationship

Quarterly literature review of the remote sensing of natural resources

The Technology Application Center reviewed abstracted literature sources, and selected document data and data gathering techniques which were performed or obtained remotely from space, aircraft or groundbased stations. All of the documentation was related to remote sensing sensors or the remote sensing of the natural resources. Sensors were primarily those operating within the 10 to the minus 8 power to 1 meter wavelength band. Included are NASA Tech Briefs, ARAC Industrial Applications Reports, U.S. Navy Technical Reports, U.S. Patent reports, and other technical articles and reports

Literature review of the remote sensing of natural resources

Abstracts of 596 documents related to remote sensors or the remote sensing of natural resources by satellite, aircraft, or ground-based stations are presented. Topics covered include general theory, geology and hydrology, agriculture and forestry, marine sciences, urban land use, and instrumentation. Recent documents not yet cited in any of the seven information sources used for the compilation are summarized. An author/key word index is provided

The Museum as a Healing Space: Addressing Museum Visitors' Emotional Responses through Viewing and Creating Artwork

This museum-based study analyzes museum visitors' emotional responses to viewing and creating artwork within the context of the museum space. Five clients from a women's shelter participated in the study, with ages ranging from fourteen to fifty two years old. Museum visitors were instructed to choose an artwork within the museum that resonated an emotion, feeling, or memory, followed by the completion of a guided written response. Participants shared the chosen artwork with one another and discussed the rationale for choosing the object. Artwork was created in response to the museum tour. Data collected and examined include: a State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) before and after the program; museum narrative written response; observations; analysis of artwork and writing responses; and a follow-up survey. Participants demonstrated personal connections to viewing museum objects that corresponded to themes within their own artwork. Results of the study determine that anxiety was reduced overall, although certain levels of anxiety were unchanged or slightly increased within some participants. The findings provide insight into museum visitors' responses to museum content and may be applicable to educators interested in implementing healing art-based programs in collaboration with museums and community organizations