Guide

The Family Engagement for High School Success Toolkit - created by United Way Worldwide (a Ready by 21 National Partner), AT&T and Harvard Family Research Project - can help nonprofits develop strong parent-school-community partnerships and provide networks of support to keep students on the path to high school graduation. The toolkit is available here.

The guide can help those working to create better, more coordinated afterschool programming start building a QIS, or further develop existing efforts. It describes what constitutes an effective QIS and the tasks involved in building one, and includes examples and resources from communities whose work is blazing a trail for others.

The toolkit reflects the expertise of United Way Worldwide and the Workforce Strategy Center, content partners in the publication. It offers practical advice and hands-on steps to investing in community improvement, and features case studies from leading corporate citizens like KPMG LLP's Family for Literacy program, Baxter International's Science@Work program, and the Bridging Richmond initiative, supported by the Altria Group.

The DataBank provides up-to-date information on a large range of indicators. It can be searched by life stages (pregnancy and birth, infants and young children, adolescents, and young adults), by well-being areas (health and safety, child care and education, and behaviors) or the context for children (demographics, family and community, and economic security).

www.childtrendsdatabank.org

Government agencies, intergovernmental commissions, task forces, and policy and advocacy organizations have always relied on some level of data on investments in children, youth, families and communities to do their jobs. Fiscal maps can help decision makers get a birds-eye view of how much is being spent across departments and programs. Though these maps come in many forms, a quality fiscal map is different than traditional public reports on spending because it focuses on children and youth, not departments and agencies.

In order to create conditions for youth motivation, needs for safety, belonging, and esteem must be met. High quality scores indicate that things are in place for youth to have access to key developmental experiences and to get their needs met. When youth needs are met they are likely to be motivated to engage in the program.

The Developmental Assets are 40 common sense, positive experiences and qualities that help influence choices young people make and help them become caring, responsible, successful adults. Because of its basis in youth development, resiliency, and prevention research and its proven effectiveness, the Developmental Assets framework has become one of the most widely used approach to positive youth development in the United States.