Joy Moses of The Center for American Progress has written a piece that introduces the many poverty-fighting aspects of Obama’s proposed budget.
The budget includes measures ranging from a commitment to end childhood hunger by 2015, to increased funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, to extending aid for veterans at risk of homelessness.
Click here to read Moses’ article, “Helping Those Most in Need.”
In his presentation, The Science of Early Childhood Development: Closing the Gap Between What We know and What we Do, Dr. Jack Shonkoff illustrates the ways that stresses like poverty can permanently impair children’s development.
The economic recovery bill introduced in the House of Representatives would make a major improvement in the federal Child Tax Credit. The bill would diminish an inequity that has made the current credit unavailable to the poorest working families with children. The improvement would be temporary — structured to last for the next two years. But, at a time when millions of families are struggling due to job losses, reduced hours, and low wages, the improved credit would both help provide needed stimulus to the economy and help low-income working families make ends meet.
By Kate Bell
In 1999, U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a target to eliminate child poverty within a generation. Nearly 10 years later, a raft of policy initiatives have been introduced, and significant progress has been achieved on cutting poverty. The political discourse has moved from one where poverty was barely acknowledged to one in which tackling child poverty is a widely accepted goal. Challenges remain if the government is to hit even its interim target of halving child poverty by 2010, but the United Kingdom’s experience shows that setting an ambitious goal can inspire radical action.
Read more »
On Thursday, October 23 Half in Ten hosted a panel discussion about the Harlem Children’s Zone, an innovative effort to combat child poverty.
The Harlem Children’s Zone is America’s most ambitious and closely watched effort to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. HCZ aims to create a “conveyor belt” for Harlem’s poor children, a series of rich and effective supports-from a “Baby College” for parents, to an all-day pre-kindergarten and extended-day charter schools, to health clinics and community centers, all the way to help in succeeding in college. Together, these efforts aim to give poor children the stimulation and the opportunities that most kids growing up in middle-class neighborhoods receive from birth. This year, HCZ will serve 8,000 children living in the 97 block Zone. The initiative has been featured on 60 Minutes, the Oprah Winfrey Show, and in the New York Times Magazine.
Read more »
From the Coalition on Human Needs
On October 3, its final day in session, Congress passed and the President signed into law a major improvement in the Child Tax Credit that will help 13 million low-income children. The provision makes families with earnings of $8,500 or more eligible for a partial Child Tax Credit although they don’t earn enough to owe federal income taxes (called a “refundable” credit). Approximately 2.9 million children will become newly eligible for the credit and 10.1 million will receive a larger credit. Without the improvement families would have had to earn at least $12,050 in 2008 to be eligible for the partial credit. The reduced earnings requirement was enacted for one year; although advocates have hopes it will not be too difficult to persuade Congress to extend it.
Read more »
The National Center for Children in Poverty has released a new report on the staggering numbers of American children growing up in low-income households, offering facts, analysis, and solutions.
Read more »
By the Center for American Progress’ Joy Moses
Attached to Congress’ approval of the bailout package is a brief two sentence provision that will bring welcome relief to the families of over 13 million low-income children. The provision expands the reach of the Child Tax Credit, which will help families cope with the growing financial challenges associated with the current economy.
Read more »
In light of the substantial (and rising) costs of child care in the United States, the National Women’s Law Center released an analysis of the child care policies enacted by various states. While some advances have been made in the last year or so, NWLC found that over the last decade, most states made no progress, and in many cases, have actually moved backward in dealing with this problem.
Read more »
The National Center for Children in Poverty has released an interactive “Basic Needs Budget Calculator,” showing the cost of minimum daily necessities to American families based on a number of criteria. Try the calculator here.
