Access to reliable and safe child care allows parents and caregivers to work or attend school to enrich their lives and support their families. Child care subsidies are a critical resource for families with low incomes that can’t afford child care. The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is a federal block grant that provides funding, along with contributions from states, for states to administer child care subsidies to families with low incomes. CCDF has a federally-set base eligibility requirement, and states then establish various additional eligibility criteria, prioritizations for eligibility, and parameters around what their child care subsidies cover. Read more in the full report using the button above.

Healthcare costs and worries over unexpected medical bills are the top financial concern for all U.S. familias. Access to appropriate healthcare for parents and children is critical for families living in poverty. Removing barriers to healthcare access allows children to receive the wellness and acute care visits they need. Read more in the full report using the button above.

Diaper insecurity is a serious issue for families that affects approximately one in two caregivers. Since January 2019, the average price of a package of diapers in the U.S. has increased by 32 por ciento, and families can spend anywhere from $80 a $100 per month per child on diapers. Not only are there health implications for diaper insecurity, including diaper rash and urinary tract infections, diaper insecurity also impacts a caregiver’s mental health. Caregivers struggling with adequate diaper supply report feeling alone, helpless, judged and overly stressed about their lack of diapers. Además, many child care providers require caregivers to supply diapers for their children while in their care, which puts caregivers at risk of missing work or school due to an inadequate diaper supply. The stress of providing for children with limited resources can overload parents and potentially increase their risk of an interaction with the child welfare system. Read more in the full report using the button above.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal income tax credit for people earning low to moderate incomes. The amount of these tax credits is usually dependent on earnings, family size or dependents, and marital status. States can also offer their own versions of an EITC, with varying eligibility requirements, credit amounts, and refundability. Read more in the full report using the button above.

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) provides a tax credit to families with children of certain incomes. Under current federal law, the credit has a maximum value of $2,000, but only $1,600 is refundable. In practice, this means families with lower incomes don’t see the full benefit of the credit. A fully refundable CTC would expand this benefit to allow families to receive the difference if the tax credit is more than they owe. Read more in the full report using the button above.

Our current human services systems are not sufficiently meeting the needs of families living in poverty. The reasons for this are complex and include siloed offerings and systemic social and economic challenges. Guaranteed income is an unconditional direct payment to individuals in need. Guaranteed income models are promising approaches to fill the gaps in our current infrastructure by enhancing family financial stability. Read more in the full report using the button above.

en punto brillante, we have committed to pivoting from managing the aftermath of child maltreatment to preventing it by addressing root causes like poverty. As a community-based child and family service organization that began as a child welfare organization, our understanding of families and communities has evolved and grown. In addition to child welfare, we have expanded our service array to include parent support, early childhood care and education, salud mental y bienestar, and youth services. Even with the expansion of our services over several decades, we needed to, as an organization, make a declarative commitment to acknowledge the better outcomes children achieve when they are not separated from their families. Based on our policy research and our experience on the ground working directly with families, we believe to transform the child welfare system as we know it, we need to focus on child, familia, y soluciones de bienestar comunitario. The most effective approaches create environments for families to thrive and deter the likelihood that they will ever interact with the child welfare system. Families are a child’s greatest asset, and we are committed to advancing the well-being of children by investing in families to disrupt the systemic and multi-generational cycles of racial, social, y la desigualdad económica.