A Blueprint for Economic Security
“A Blueprint for Economic Security” explores the intersections of the work-related experiences of men and fathers, child support enforcement policies and practices and support services for fathers with low-incomes. Consideration is given to the historical factors that are complicating efforts to end poverty. The Blueprint also highlights necessary changes to child support enforcement efforts and support services for low-income fathers. Policy recommendations for both the state and national levels are offered. In addition to the full report, an Executive Summary is also available.
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Policy Briefing March 2017
IN THIS ISSUE:
• Texas Lawmakers Propose End to Jail Time for Inability to Pay Fines
• Drug Testing on the Rise for Unemployment Benefits and for Public Assistance
• Nonresident Fathers’ Involvement With Children is Compromised by Child Support Debt
• Children of Incarcerated Parents Suffer Worse Educational Outcomes
• State Policy and Practice News
Punishing the Poorest Families: Wisconsin’s New Budget is More of the Same
Wisconsin’s Governor Walker has recently proposed requiring food stamp and housing assistance recipients to work or risk losing this assistance. His proposals reflect a long pattern of targeting the poorest families in the name of making them more responsible and independent. The strategy can be traced back to the Reagan presidency, and the years since then have seen the whittling away of the safety net, which is now so shredded that identifying the next group of families who receive services that can be cut is itself a challenge of sorts. This essay briefly traces the history of these proposals and the attitudes and politics that helped to create them.
Read MorePolicy Briefing February 2017
IN THIS ISSUE:
• New Final Rules Affecting Child Support Enforcement Issued
• Early Indications of Proposed Cuts to Social Services by Trump Administration
• States Spending Only Half of TANF Funds on Core Welfare Programs
• Wisconsin Governor Seeks Stricter Requirements on Food Stamp and Housing Assistance Recipients, Increases State EITC for Some Families
• State Policy and Practice News
Policy Briefing December 2016/January 2017
IN THIS ISSUE:
• Republican Plans to Repeal ACA Would Leave One in Four Uninsured
• Annual Report on Child Support Collections Shows Declining Caseload and Reduced Funding for Enforcement Programs in States
• Cities Increasingly Criminalizing Homelessness
• State Policy and Practice
• Also of Note
Policy Briefing November 2016
IN THIS ISSUE:
• Obama Plans Change in Child Support Payment Rules for Prisoners
• Felony Disenfranchisement Prohibits More than 6 Million from Voting
• Proposals Would Increase Minimum Wage, Eliminate Subminimum for Disabled
• High Rates of Mental Illness in US, but Little Access to Services
• Survey Documents Access to Banking Services Among US Households
• Race Gap Persists Even at Higher Income and Education Levels
• Public Housing Assistance Has Some Long-Term Benefits for Children
• State Child Support Enforcement and TANF News
• Also of Note
Policy Briefing October 2016
IN THIS ISSUE:
• States Moving to Avoid Jailing Low-Income Defendants Who Are Awaiting Trial
• TANF Families Suffer High Rates of Trauma, Program Does Not Address It
• Impact of Payday and Auto Title Loans on Families with Low Income Described in New Report
• Two Governors Under Fire After Privatizing Welfare Services
• Rising Inequality Expanding the Black-White Wage Gap
• Incomes Up for Most in US in 2015, but Poverty Increased for Working-Age Adults and Children
• State Child Support Enforcement and TANF News
• Also of Note
Payday Lending and Auto Title Lending: Who Borrows and Why?
Payday and auto title loans threaten the economic security of some individuals, families and communities. The presence of loan stores combined with the absence of banks in these communities makes it tempting for mothers and fathers with economic need to take out an initial loan. The structure of the payday and auto title loans often furthers economic instability….
Read MorePolicy Briefing September 2016
IN THIS ISSUE:
• Poorest Children of Single Mothers Became Poorer over First Decade of TANF
• HHS Releases Report on FY 2015 State TANF Spending
• Wide Racial Disparities in Top Mental Health Concerns for Children
• Installment Loans Might Be Just As Predatory as Payday Loans
• Seven States Cutting Eligible Residents from Federally Funded Food Stamp Benefits
• Expansion of Healthcare Coverage Found to Reap Benefits for Low-Income Families
• State Child Support Enforcement News
Policy Briefing August 2016
IN THIS ISSUE:
• The True Impact of Work Requirements
• Eligible Applicants at Risk of Losing Food Stamp Benefits in Two States
• Mortality Risk Highest for Low-Income African American Men
• Income Mobility Declines
• Majority of Working Class Will be Non-White by 2032
• Fact Sheets Available for Every State Showing Impact of the Safety Net
• State Child Support Enforcement News
• Also of Note
Who Pays? Who Benefits?
Georgia’s Parental Accountability Court (PAC) program recently received an award from the National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA). PAC “intends to assist families by offering an alternative to incarceration...