Highlight

 Improving Access to Work Supports and Benefits: State Challenges and Opportunities

This webcast provided an opportunity to hear from national experts and several states about how to improve access to work supports and benefits through policies, technology, administrative and organizational change and outreach to partner organizations.

Throughout the country, states are focusing efforts on poverty and income inequality. In 2008, more than one in six children lived in poverty. This trend, coupled with high rates of families living without health insurance and facing food and housing insecurities, has prompted many state leaders to examine how poverty can be alleviated. Children who grow up poor are more likely to earn less as adults, complete fewer years of education, and face more health issues than children living in higher-income families – all of concern for state policymakers.

Several states and territories are now moving toward more comprehensive strategies to address poverty by setting targets, tracking poverty rates, and implementing diverse initiatives

• Since 2007, 22 states and territories have established task forces, commissions or legislative caucuses to guide and oversee their state's poverty reduction effort: AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, ME, MI, MN, MT, NM, OH, RI, USVI, VA,VT and WA.
• 11 states and territories have set poverty reduction targets: AR, CO, CT, DE, IL, IN,LA, ME, MN, VT, USVI

Governor's Summits on Poverty and Economic Opportunity
In 2008, the NGA Center awarded grants to nine states - Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Wisconsin - to hold a Governor's Summit on Poverty and Economic Opportunity. The purpose of the summits was to galvanize state and local leadership to advance a comprehensive policy agenda to reduce poverty. To learn more about the recommendations, preliminary outcomes and subsequent efforts of each of the poverty summit states, click here.

Other State Reports:

• The Delaware Child Poverty Task Force
• Michigan Voices For Action Report
• Ohio Anti-Poverty Task Force
• Vermont Child Poverty Council
• Virginia Poverty Reduction Task Force
• Wisconsin Building Bridges to Family Economic Success Report

NGA Center Resources:

• Audio Conference Calls on Poverty
• State Strategies to Reduce Child and Family Poverty
• Improving Access to Benefits for Low-Income Families