Tackling Intergenerational Poverty: How Governors Can Advance Coordinated Services for Low-Income Parents and Children

Poverty and long-term unemployment plague Americans of all ages, including parents and their children. The complexity of the issues requires coordinated support for low-income families that goes beyond temporary relief from economic stress and includes mechanisms that help children and adults move out of poverty altogether. Governors are in a unique position to align programs and policies for children and their parents through “two-generation” strategies since they oversee most of the state and federal programs for low-income families. By providing leadership and fostering collaboration across all state agencies that touch low-income children and families, governors can streamline practices and develop innovative solutions for promoting the well-being of children and improving family economic stability.