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"Obama's willingness to reduce future cost-of-living increases in Social Security and numerous other government programs marked a clear a concession to Boehner, although it came with an asterisk. The president wants lower-income recipients to receive protection against any loss from scaling back future cost of living increases, these officials said. Nor did Obama's offer include raising the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67, a Republican goal that has drawn particularly strong objections from Democratic liberals."

"Many students saw their college savings dwindle during the recent recession, McGuinness said, because as parents lost their jobs, they dipped into college accounts to make house payments or pay bills. Some students teeter on the edge of poverty from semester to semester, McGuinness said. McGuinness has an open-door policy for students needing help. Sometimes, aid is as simple as finding a low-cost or housing payment plan tailored to the student's needs. Sometimes, officials are able to find students work."

"The economic downturn of recent years has fallen particularly hard on low-income households, forcing teens to trade school for work and put their futures at risk. Yet more families are confronting this problem because incomes especially among the working poor have stagnated since the recession officially ended in 2009.A new report, 'How Youth Are Put At Risk By Parents' Low Wage Jobs,' by researchers at the University of Massachusetts and Boston College, says that adolescents, who often take on adult responsibilities to help keep families afloat, ultimately bear the brunt of these decisions."

"How can we begin today to create the skilled future work force of tomorrow? Let's start by boosting enrollment eligibility in the Kentucky Preschool Program from 150 percent to 200 percent of the poverty level. This would give almost 4,000 more 4-year-olds and their families access to a quality early education."

Commentary: Ruth J. Liberman, Crittenton Women�s Union

"Through the generosity of Times readers and a match by the McCormick Foundation, nearly $450,000 was granted to local literacy programs this year as a result of the Los Angeles Times Holiday Campaign. The campaign, part of the Los Angeles Times Family Fund, a McCormick Foundation Fund, raises contributions to support established literacy programs run by nonprofit organizations that serve low-income families whose children are reading below grade levels, who are at risk of illiteracy or who have limited English proficiency."

"More and more Lake families with schoolchildren are finding themselves in shelters, hotels or doubled up with other families, according to an October state report. Last school year, officials counted 3,541 homeless students -- about four times more than were identified in the 2008-09 school year. Last year's numbers, which were released statewide for comparison this fall, show Lake has the fourth-highest homeless-student population in the state. But despite a decline in the unemployment rate, homelessness is only expected to grow."

"The Supreme Court ruled this year that Congress could tell states to expand Medicaid but it couldn't penalize those that refused. As a result, many states are expected not to extend coverage to 138% of the poverty line or to able-bodied individuals without dependent children. Low-income seniors in those states could still seek heavily subsidized coverage through the state's insurance exchange, but the out-of-pocket costs would be significantly higher -- too high, some advocates for the elderly warn."

"For example, in an election where a record number of women were elected to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and women, who constitute a majority of the electorate, voted 55-44 percent in support of President Obama, election eve polls point to a stark reality. Women, by a wide margin, apparently believed the president's policies would be more supportive of women and children than those of Governor Romney."

"The statistics never fail to startle: During the 2011-12 school year, 4,922 students enrolled in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools were identified by CMS as homeless. Within CMS, there is an elementary school where one out of every four students is homeless. They are among 1.6 million kids nationally trying to focus on school while living in shelters and pay-by-the-week motels, doubled-up or tripled up with other families, living in buildings unsuitable for human habitation and even sleeping in cars."

"In a modern house of poverty, there are still the bare essentials: shelter, clothing, food (although almost 40 percent of children in North Philadelphia are food-insecure). But unlike in Richmond's era, when free play was more prevalent, the faces of too many of our children reflect off television, computer, and video game screens. These youngsters have entertainment, not education."

"It's one of five Virginia institutions to receive a $1.25 million Department of Education 'Upward Bound' grant, which targets high school students from low-income families or families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree. The Virginia Community Colleges Association has recognized several of the school's professors for their work this year."