As social media continue to play an expanding role in our communications efforts, please consider following WCCF on Twitter, liking us on Facebook and subscribing to our blog. Each of these channels provides information not available anywhere else!

Did you know that when you are shopping at the Willy St. Co-op in Madison, and the cashier asks if you want to "CHIP," a portion of that 1% "CHIP-ing" adds to your bill helps support WCCF, along with over 60 other area nonprofits? Find out more about Community CHIP here.

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In this issue:

Shakespeare in the Court: Is it the the New "Midnight Basketball" of Juvenile Justice?
by Jim Moeser
Tight juvenile justice budgets mean policy makers must focus more than ever on practices grounded in sound evidence of success rather than jumping onboard every gimmicky program concept that may or may not work.
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Fortunately, Unfortunately: The Early Childhood Advocacy Year in Review
by Daithi Wolfe
Like the famous children's book, early childhood advocates encountered positive and negative developments in 2011. In this article, Daithi summarizes some of the more significant ones, both fortunate and unfortunate.
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Two Economic Boosts Slated to End
by Tamarine Cornelius
Two important boosts to the economy--extended unemployment benefits and the payroll tax cut--are scheduled to expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn't act soon to extend them. Failure to do so would be a blow to the economy and to job creation efforts.
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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Kids Count Data Center
by Tricia Egan
You are just a few clicks away from the Kids Count Data Center right now! In partnership with The Annie E. Casey Foundation, WCCF provides access to this huge storehouse information useful in assessing community needs, writing grant proposals, engaging in advocacy, and making public policy. And it even produces spiffy charts!

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Don't forget to check out the WCCF blog at wiskids.blogspot.com and the Wisconsin Budget Project blog at wisconsinbudgetproject.blogspot.com!
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Did you know that you can access all sorts of useful data about the well-being of Wisconsin's children and families via the WisKids Count portion of our website? There are a lot of tools available for county-by-county comparisons and generating tables, charts, etc. Check it out.

And did you know that WCCF publishes e-newsletters on a variety of specific issues, including health care, early education, juvenile justice and other youth issues, and budget and tax matters? Well, we do. If you are interested in any of these issues, please consider signing up for one or more of these email bulletins. You can also sign up via that page for action alerts and for one or more of our campaigns. Once you see the impressive volume of work we are doing on the issues that matter to you, you will no doubt feel moved to help support this work by making a donation to WCCF.