Thursday, March 30, 2023

Play

Nebraska attorneys develop a workers rights program, the FDA approves over-the-counter sales of the overdose-reversing drug Naloxone, and mayors look for new ways to partner with the federal government.

Play

The Senate repeals authorization of military force in Iraq, the former CEO of Starbucks testifies about the company's worker policies, and Kentucky overrides the governor's veto of gender-affirming care for children.

Play

Small towns respond to a hidden housing and homelessness crisis, a new national weather prediction system will help close the gap between urban and rural forecasting, and more rural communities are eligible for a design project to boost economic development.

Research: Safety Net Programs Reducing Ohio Child Poverty

Play

Wednesday, February 25, 2015   

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A new report finds children are faring better in Ohio thanks to social programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Research released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation uses the Supplemental Poverty Measure, or SPM, which gauges the influence of safety net resources on child poverty.

Dawn Wallace-Pascoe, Kids Count project manager with the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio, explains.

"It takes into account some additional factors such as non-cash income sources, as well as the cost of living in the state where the person lives," says Wallace-Pascoe. "It shows us what's working and what isn't."

Using the SPM, the report found nearly a half-million more Ohio children would have lived in poverty between 2011 and 2013, nearly double the actual number, if not for anti-poverty programs.

The Casey Foundation's associate director for policy reform and advocacy Laura Speer says child poverty can't be the only measurement of success - as reflected in the foundation's recent Two-Generation report. It outlines how programs for children and parents need to work together and Speer says there are other measures to consider.

"Access to high quality early education, changing tax credit policies to help families keep more of what they learn and linking up programs for parents to programs for children," says Speer.

Wallace-Pascoe says Ohio is working to reduce child poverty, and she points to new anti-poverty measures in Governor John Kasich's budget proposal. One eliminates copays for child care for those who are 100 percent of poverty level or below. Another would end what's called the child-care cliff.

"As families earn more income in jobs, this new proposal would allow them to continue receiving some sort of subsidized child care up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, where currently it's at 200 percent," says Wallace-Pascoe.

The SPM was created in 2011 by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Casey Foundation report found that while the official poverty rate was essentially unchanged since 1990, with the SPM it declined. The report also calls for further development of the tool to gather county-level statistics.


get more stories like this via email

The report outlines ways that higher education could be creative and flexible with how schools are using their platforms to reach students. (Adobe stock)

Social Issues

New findings confirm suspicions about the top reasons many students considered dropping out of college over the last six months. The Gallup and …


Social Issues

Two reports confirm a troubling trend in terms of Black students attending college. According to the University System of Georgia, enrollment among …

Health and Wellness

States such as Minnesota continue to grapple with recent spikes in fatal overdoses tied to opioids. Now, a federal agency has taken what aid groups …


The Warrior Way Back program at Wayne State University works with older students who may have families or jobs competing for their study time. (digitalskillet/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

Everyone starts college with pretty much the same dream - to earn a degree and have a better life. But sometimes life gets in the way, and dreams get …

Social Issues

Food assistance is integral for families - but it's also important that the food available makes sense culturally. The American Heart Association …

The Castner Range contains cultural sites that document the history of Native tribes, while also providing habitat for wildlife such as the golden eagle, mountain lions and the western burrowing owl. (Dale/AdobeStock)

Environment

A celebration will be held in El Paso Friday after five decades of activism paid off, when President Joe Biden designated Texas' Castner Range a …

Social Issues

The Iowa Senate has advanced a bill to outlaw handling a cellphone while driving. The state already has a distracted driving law, but it allows …

Social Issues

With an average hourly wage of under $15 in 2021, many Nebraska agricultural workers would be hard-pressed to afford an attorney if they needed one …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021