Moving the Needle on Poverty: An Up-to-Date Look at What States Are Doing to Alleviate Hardship among Children and Families

Colorado Children's Campaign. 1580 Lincoln Street Suite 420, Denver, CO 80203. Tel: 303-839-1580; Fax: 303-839-1354; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.coloradokids.org

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24

Policymakers

State Agencies; Poverty; Low Income Groups; Access to Education; Educational Legislation; Expenditures; Child Care; Educational Finance; Financial Support; Family Programs; Social Services; Correlation; Public Policy; Child Welfare; State Programs; At Risk Persons; Barriers; Profiles; Minority Groups; Racial Differences; Intervention; Prevention

Alabama; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Illinois; Iowa; Louisiana; Maine; Michigan; Minnesota; New Mexico; North Carolina; Ohio; Oregon; Rhode Island; Vermont; Washington

"Moving the Needle on Poverty" is designed to provide Colorado leaders with an up-to-date picture of the diverse strategies that states across the nation are pursuing to lift individuals, families, and communities out of poverty. As the report indicates, many states are choosing to set specific and measurable goals for poverty reduction, while others are convening working groups to further study the problem and potential solutions. While this report is not intended to espouse any particular course of action for Colorado, understanding the initiatives undertaken elsewhere can help leaders make decisions about what may--and may not--be appropriate for addressing their own unique challenges. The report is based on informal research conducted by the Colorado Children's Campaign in the summer of 2008 that began with scans of the public plans of governors, legislatures, state agencies, and national advocacy and philanthropic organizations. The Children's Campaign sifted through executive orders, legislation, and the findings and recommendations of poverty-reduction commissions and task forces in 13 states. Among the key findings of the analysis are: (1) As of mid-2008, nine states have established timelines and numerical goals for reducing poverty, and a mechanism for tracking and reporting progress from year to year. Of these states, five are focusing on child poverty, three on overall poverty, and one on extreme poverty; (2) Eight states have established task forces, commissions or legislative caucuses to identify priorities, develop strategies and/or build consensus for reducing poverty; and (3) Expenditures in three key areas--work-based supports, childcare assistance, and safety-net programs--are highly correlated with the alleviation of hardship among children and families. (Contains 2 tables and 8 endnotes.)

ERIC

2013

ED538956