Interim Report in Nevada, Children Run Better Unleaded

The purpose of the current document is to highlight the need for this program in the state of Nevada, information regarding the dangers of lead exposure, current and future directions of the program, and necessary improvements for a successful program

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Year Two Outcome Evaluation Report for the Southern Nevada Health District

In the fall of 2010 the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) was awarded funding from the Federal Office of Adolescent Health to implement an evidence based teen pregnancy prevention curriculum. They have partnered with the Department of Juvenile Justice Services and the Clark County Department of Family Services to offer this curriculum to the youth in juvenile detention, probation, and life skills classes for youth aging out of the foster care system. The Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP) has been contracted to complete the outcome evaluation for this program and is collecting data to help measure the program’s progress toward meeting its goals. The program will be implemented over a five year period with the goal of reducing teen pregnancy and birth rates, as well as the rate of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in Southern Nevada. To achieve these goals, the SNHD selected two evidence based curriculums: Be Proud! Be Responsible! and ¡Cuidate!. Both are designed to educate youth about protecting themselves from sexual health risks. Adolescents who participated in the program also completed surveys to allow for an evaluation of the program’s impact on their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to sexual health. There were 752 youth who participated in Year Two of the program and of those, 593 (78.9%) completed the course and the pre- and post-surveys required for the current evaluation. Youth from juvenile detention, probation, and foster care centers between the ages of 12 and 18 participated in the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. To date, 387 Year Two participants have become eligible for the 3-month follow-up survey and 175 have been completed for a 3-month follow-up survey response rate of 45.2%. There are 226 Year Two participants that have become eligible for a 6-month follow-up survey of which 98 have been completed, for a 6-month follow-up survey response rate of 43.4%. Year One of this project was considered a “pilot” year to allow for adjustments in curriculum implementation, venues, and survey instruments. During Year One there were several iterations of the surveys used and therefore, the Year One Pilot data will not be included cumulatively with the Year Two dataset or with future project data. In the current report, comparisons are made to the Year One Pilot, when available and appropriate. Some comparisons are not available because the question used to measure a particular goal has been changed completely from Year One and some comparisons are not appropriate because the response options for a question were changed from Year One to Year Two. Going forward, it is expected that few, if any, adjustments to program implementation and survey instrumentation will be made. Therefore, future reporting on program outcomes will rely on a cumulative dataset beginning with Year Two

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Year Three Outcome Evaluation Report for the Southern Nevada Health District

In the fall of 2010 the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) was awarded funding from the Federal Office of Adolescent Health to implement an evidence based teen pregnancy prevention curriculum. They have partnered with the Department of Juvenile Justice Services, the Clark County Department of Family Services, and the City of Las Vegas to offer this curriculum to the youth in juvenile detention, probation, community centers, and life skills classes for youth aging out of the foster care system. The Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP) has been contracted to complete the outcome evaluation for this program and is collecting data to help measure the program’s progress toward meeting its goals. The program will be implemented over a five year period with the goal of reducing teen pregnancy and birth rates, as well as the rate of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in Southern Nevada. To achieve these goals, the SNHD selected two evidence based curricula: Be Proud! Be Responsible! and ¡Cuidate!. Both are designed to educate youth about protecting themselves from sexual health risks. Adolescents who participated in the program also completed surveys to allow for an evaluation of the program’s impact on their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to sexual health. Year One of this project was considered a “pilot” year to allow for adjustments in curriculum implementation, venues, and survey instruments. Therefore, the Year One Pilot data is not included in the analyses for the current report. The current report is based on the cumulative data collected during Year Two and Year Three of the project. During Year Two and Year Three of the project, 1617 youth were enrolled in the program (completed a pre-survey) and of those, 1336 (82.6%) completed the course. Youth from juvenile detention, probation, foster care, and community centers participated in the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. To date, 1035 participants have become eligible for the 3-month follow-up survey and 543 have been completed for a 3-month follow-up survey response rate of 52.5%. There are 821 participants that have become eligible for a 6-month follow-up survey of which 400 have been completed, for a 6-month follow-up survey response rate of 48.7%

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Year One Outcome Evaluation Report for the Southern Nevada Health District

In the fall of 2010 the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) was awarded funding from the Federal Office of Adolescent Health to implement an evidence based teen pregnancy prevention curriculum. They have partnered with the Department of Juvenile Justice Services and the Clark County Department of Family Services to offer this curriculum to the youth in juvenile detention, probation, and life skills classes for youth aging out of the foster care system. The Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP) has been contracted to complete the outcome evaluation for this program and is collecting data to help measure the program’s progress toward meeting its goals. The program will be implemented over a five year period with the goal of reducing teen pregnancy and birth rates, as well as the rate of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in Southern Nevada. To achieve these goals, the SNHD selected two evidence based curriculums: Be Proud! Be Responsible! and ¡Cuidate!. Both are designed to educate youth about protecting themselves from sexual health risks. Adolescents who participated in the program also completed surveys to allow for an evaluation of the program’s impact on their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to sexual health. There were 752 youth who participated in Year Two of the program and of those, 593 (78.9%) completed the course and the pre- and post-surveys required for the current evaluation. Youth from juvenile detention, probation, and foster care centers between the ages of 12 and 18 participated in the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. To date, 387 Year Two participants have become eligible for the 3-month follow-up survey and 175 have been completed for a 3-month follow-up survey response rate of 45.2%. There are 226 Year Two participants that have become eligible for a 6-month follow-up survey of which 98 have been completed, for a 6-month follow-up survey response rate of 43.4%. Year One of this project was considered a “pilot” year to allow for adjustments in curriculum implementation, venues, and survey instruments. During Year One there were several iterations of the surveys used and therefore, the Year One Pilot data will not be included cumulatively with the Year Two dataset or with future project data. In the current report, comparisons are made to the Year One Pilot, when available and appropriate. Some comparisons are not available because the question used to measure a particular goal has been changed completely from Year One and some comparisons are not appropriate because the response options for a question were changed from Year One to Year Two. Going forward, it is expected that few, if any, adjustments to program implementation and survey instrumentation will be made. Therefore, future reporting on program outcomes will rely on a cumulative dataset beginning with Year Two

2009 Legislative Briefing Book

The purpose of the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP) Legislative Briefing Book is to provide a quick snapshot of some of the most pressing issues facing Nevada’s children in order to provide advocates and policymakers with a stepping stone in creating positive changes to improve the lives of Nevada’s children. While this book will not cover every issue facing our children, it is intended to highlight those of greatest concern, covering issues in education, health, safety and security, and the juvenile justice system. Diligent efforts need to be made during the 2009 Legislative Session to improve policies, procedures and services for Nevada’s children. Nevada has continually been ranked as one of the poorest states when it comes to statistics regarding children and social policy. Given the current economic strains on our State, it is vitally important to focus on preventing cuts to necessary programs while looking ahead to see what we can improve upon during this session, and in the future. Although most advocates and particularly policymakers would like to create policies that will provide immediate positive feedback, it is important to realize that effective social change takes time. As such, much emphasis should be placed on developing quality, comprehensive systems and implementing evidence-based preventive strategies to researched-based risk indicators. This book is intended to be a compilation of statistics and policy recommendations from across the state, authored and supported by the practitioners, agencies, organizations, individuals and others who work with and advocate for the well-being of children in Nevada. A wide variety of these individuals and organizations were contacted to contribute to this briefing book and were asked to provide a brief overview of their major policy concerns, as well as specific recommendations for improving those policies. We have included contact information for each contributor, as well as additional contacts/resources for further information in some categories. In light of the current economic crisis, the briefing book also includes a special section on State Expenditures and Funding, which includes some recommendations for moving forward to ensure that appropriate revenue sources are available in the future