Colorado Coalition Lobbies Congress in Support of Jobs, Unemployment Benefits, and Child Care

Members of the Colorado Half in Ten campaign met with U.S. congressional staff in Washington, D.C., on November 8, 2010, to urge their support of reauthorization and extension of the TANF Emergency Contingency Fund. The TANF Emergency Contingency Fund has helped states create jobs and provide emergency assistance to families struggling to make ends meet. However, the TANF Emergency Contingency Fund expired on September 30, 2010, leaving 250,000 jobs in jeopardy.

In Colorado, the Half in Ten campaign is pressuring the Department of Human Services to continue funding child care for low-income families. On November 10, 2010, members of the Half in Ten campaign testified to the Denver Welfare Board meeting to ask them to consider all alternatives to making cuts in services and carefully decide what choice would have the least impact on low-income families.

In the next month, the campaign will continue to hold community forums to provide information about the benefits of the economic stimulus package. More than 145 people have attended these forums across the state to learn about access to unemployment benefits, green jobs, TANF, small business development, health care, Pell grants, and tax breaks. Forums are scheduled in Aurora, CO, on Wednesday, December 1, and in Pueblo, CO, on Tuesday, December 7. For more on the Pueblo forum, visit this link.