Aleta Meyer, ex-officio member from the Administration for Children and Families, is excited to share that the comprehensive report and briefs from the Human Services in Rural Contexts Study are now published and live. This is the culmination of the work ACF has been doing on rural for the past couple of years.
This new report, accompanied by seven briefs, provides information on how human services operate in rural contexts. The report illustrates the remaining need for human services in rural communities and the unique challenges and opportunities that exist to address this remaining need. The first three briefs delve into more detail about specific topics relevant to human services programs in rural areas. The Broadband Access brief discusses how rural areas lack access to broadband internet and how this impacts rural communities. The Housing Supports brief describes the need for housing in rural communities and the existing supports which work to address this need. Next, the Racial Inequities brief describes racial inequities in human services programs in rural areas, as it relates to remaining need for program services, levels of unemployment and poverty, access to broadband and transportation, and funding per person in poverty. There are also four briefs that provide federal, state, and local policymakers, program administrators, staff, and partners with a series of lessons learned and practitioner recommendations to help inform policy and service delivery moving forward. These findings are drawn from four types of programs: MIECHV (Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), HPOG (Health Profession Opportunity Grants), and HMRF (Healthy Marriage / Responsible Fatherhood).
