Helping Working Poor Families through Tough Times
More Resources about Building Family Economic Security
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EVENT JANUARY 31: Strengthening Vulnerable Families Pre-Conference Session at COF's Family Philanthropy Conference
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Issue Briefs:
10 Ways to Get Involved in Family Economic Security
Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity www.spotlightonpoverty.org
An initiative of major foundations across the nation including the Eos Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This project aims to stimulate a national dialogue on poverty and opportunity and build momentum for national action addressing poverty in 2009. The Spotlight website offers current press coverage, commentary and debate, and the policy options. Recent reports, analyses, and data on poverty and opportunity are profiled on the site and readily available to policy makers and thought leaders.
Child Poverty in Massachusetts: A Tale of Two States - a Massachusetts Kids Count Report
Massachusetts Citizens for Children recently released 60-page Kids Count report, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which urges the Commonwealth to join with 16 other states that have established formal Child Poverty Reduction Initiatives, including Connecticut, Maine and Vermont and large states such as California, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.
The report cites polling data showing strong bi-partisan support among voters for providing greater economic security to help lift children and families out of poverty. If you would like a hard copy of this report sent to you, please contact Benita Danzing.
Seizing the Moment: State Governments and the New Commitment to Reduce Poverty in America
CLASP and Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity have released this report highlighting national, state, and local efforts to address poverty. In this report, the authors identify which states have raised the political profile of fighting poverty and the challenges faced by those who struggle to make ends meet; also included are summaries of formal policy recommendations released by four states.
Commentary: Boston Mayor Discusses 'Food and Fuel Campaign' to Help Low-Income Residents
In this Spotlight commentary, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino describes his administration's strategy to address high food and fuel costs. Boston's Food and Fuel Campaign, initiated by the Mayor at a policy summit in September, brings together city hall officials, advocates, utility companies and grocery stores to form a partnership aimed at helping low-income residents caught in the economic crisis. But the Mayor also urges city leaders across the nation to promote solutions that go beyond the current economic downturn and develop long-term sustainable solutions to these entrenched problems.
RUBAN: Bridging Economically Isolated Rural and Urban Communities
Annie E. Casey Foundation; Community Development Partnerships' Network; Southern Rural Development Initiative
This publication outlines the challenges families in urban and rural communities face in meeting their daily needs and accessing fair and appropriate financial services. As nearly one in five rural kids is poor, the policies and tools presented here help reduce the barriers hard working families in any environment encounter on the path out of poverty. It explores the potential for collaboration between urban and rural advocates to advance state policy for family economic success.
The Working Poor Families Project (WPFP)
A national initiative focused on state workforce development policies involving: 1) education and skills training for adults; 2) economic development; and 3) income and work supports. The WPFP supports state nonprofit groups to engage in a two-part, phased process that begins with an in-depth assessment of the economic conditions and state policies affecting working families and is followed by actions to strengthen those conditions and policies.
Still Working Hard, Still Falling Short: New Findings on the Challenges Confronting
Working Poor Families Project
This analysis of U.S. Census data indicates that many Americans are facing great challenges to economic advancement in the face of government policies that have not been aimed at strengthening families. As a result, this brief includes suggestions on how the government can adopt public polices that develop adult workers so that they can participate in the workforce and thereby strengthen their families.
State policy briefs and reports about working low-income families
The WPFP partners with existing state nonprofit organizations to systematically analyze the conditions of working families and state policies related to workforce development. Many of the WPFP state partners have developed issue reports in their work to advance state policies that benefit working low-income families.
Affordable Car Ownership Programs: Transporting Families Toward Financial Stability and Success
Annie E. Casey Foundation
This article looks at innovative programs that are helping rural low-income families to acquire affordable, reliable transportation as a strategy to stabilize or improve their employment situation. The need for a car is particularly critical in rural areas, where there usually are no public transportation options, and jobs and fair-priced goods and services are far away. The brief describes a variety of car program approaches and how they help to build family economic success in rural communities.
Borrowing to Stay Healthy: How Credit Card Debt Is Related to Medical Expenses
DEMOS; The Access Project; W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Annie E. Casey Foundation;
Financially stretched low-and middle-income families often find it difficult to meet out of pocket medical expenses, often turning to credit cards and accruing medical debt. To gain a better understanding of this phenomenon, this report analyzes data from a national household survey of low-and middle-income households with credit card debt.
Increasing the Availability of Affordable Homes: A Handbook for State and Local Leaders, Fact Sheet
Annie E. Casey Foundation; Homes for Working Families
This fact sheet highlights the main points of the full handbook "Increasing the Availability of Affordable Homes: A Handbook for State and Local Leaders."