Child Poverty Task Force

Minutes

12/11/2007

Members: Nancy Wilson, Ph.D; Elaine Archangelo; Secretary Cari DeSantis; Matthew Heckles; Judge Kenneth Millman; Senator Patricia Blevins; Senator Liane Sorenson; Representative Pamela Maier; Representative Terry Schooley, Chair; Allsion McDowell; Sally Coonin; Jack Polidori; Brian Olson; Debra Singletary; Karen Curtis, Ph.D; Al Snyder; John Taylor; Deborah Wilson; Tanya Washington

Public: Brian Bartley; Maureen Lyons; Debbie Hamilton; Ramona Fullman; Roberta Gealt; Jeanne Dukes; Deborah Neff; Mark Eichler; Steve Dowshan; Lorie Tudor; Representative Melanie Marshall; Marge Verduci

Staffers: Janice Barlow, Victor Santos, Jerry Grant

Guest presenters: Jodie Levin-Epstein, Mark Greenberg

  1. Introduction (Schooley)

Why have a poverty task force? General review/background on children and poverty; economy, tax rate, equal opportunity; “Everybody does better when everybody does better.” Lessons learned:

  • Prioritize/narrow down focus
  • Get the public involved, do not isolate selves as a task force
  • Don’t reinvent the wheel- listen to national experts/experience

Review of agenda, executive order, task force structure and logistics. Short discussion related to what kinds of things everyone is interested in knowing about poverty (notes related to this are with the more detailed discussion in “Brainstorming” section below).

  1. Jodie Levin-Epstein, Center for Law And Social Policy (CLASP)

At a national level, there has been an un-orchestrated resurgence of a focus on poverty. Delaware is one of the in the forefront, but not alone (CT, VT, MN). Many other states following our lead- and will be very interested in what comes out of DE.

Current trend is to use “target” as a tool- a numerical goal within a specified timeline (i.e., DE has target of 50% reduction within 10 years). Targets are shared, simple, silo-breakers, solution-builders; a vision which is easier for the public to understand than the often difficulty to understand/follow public policy.

Background to why resurgence occurring- with Katrina, the nation saw inescapable poverty; a growing inequality making headlines; economic insecurity of everyday Americans/middle-class struggling to maintain status-quo.

Experience/expertise sharing as DE & others move forward: Spotlight on poverty and opportunity website ( reports news and developments so that nation can learn lessons quickly; much is happening at the local level too. Role of local chambers of commerce; amount of media attention; polling results.

(Tentative) tips for task force:

  • Learn facts & also learn whom to ask questions. Ask questions about what is new about poverty today because it’s different from the poverty of the 1950s or 60s. Collect info from agencies, from existing programs. Instead of just having hearings, that visiting impoverished the folks on the commission learned a lot more than just reading the reports and the data. Savannah- did a simulation of poverty during an afternoon. Governor of OR living on a ‘food stamp diet’
  • How to learn- do something creative to memorialize the event.
  • Choosing recommendations- seek to prioritize, keep it simple. Match solution up to what we know best on anticipated impact.
  • Sustaining political will is final task of group. How to do this over a decade? Does that include when reports are issued, how they are issued? Etc.

Q & A

Why was the CA legislation vetoed? Was there a fiscal note attached? The governor’s statement noted that it was vetoed because the provision called for a reduction but did not include a strategy and that particular ambiguity bothered governor.

What is meant by term “poor institutions?” Poor communities sometimes have poorly funded schools, health institutions, etc. Jodi commented that her remarks suggested that poverty must be observed through these institutional structures as well as at the individual level.

Clarification requested on IL example, looking at extreme poverty. Legislation in IL is expected to move through the legislature in 2008, target not yet set. Suggestion that DE might want to consider if we are interested in tracking how we’re doing at various levels of poverty (50%, 100%, 200%).

  1. Mark Greenberg, Center for American Progress

Following Hurricane Katrina the Center for American Progress created a Child Poverty Task Force with the charge of making the case of why the nation should address poverty and what should be done about poverty.

Poverty in America, national statistics review. One in six children in America are poor including 27% of Hispanic children and one third of African American children. Roughly one fourth of jobs in the American economy do NOT support a family of four out of poverty.

Ways of defining poverty- Research on chronic versus sporadic poverty- in a 13 year survey, 1 in 3 individuals were poor at some point in that 13 year period; 5% were poor for at least 10 of the 13 years. In US, we also talk in terms of wealth because of unequal distribution; study on asset poverty. International comparisons typically view poverty in terms of relative poverty/being out of mainstream; UNICEF ranks US 24 out of 24 developed nations when using this relative income measure.

Results of poverty- Academic researchers, estimating the cost of child (sustained) poverty to the US economy ~$5 billion per year in decreased adult productivity.

What goal is reasonable- key to answering our questions/moving forward is understanding why progress happened when it did; focus on periods of dramatic progress (60s and 90s). In 60s, it was about a very strong economy during the period and the great strides of elderly poverty with federal initiatives, progress with civil rights/minorities. Better research about the 90s- strong economy, demand for low raise workers was so strong that real wages began to grow after a few decades of stagnation; welfare reforms, earned income tax credit expansion, triple of child care funding, availability of child care, broadening of health care, child support system. A set of policies all operating at the same time, all pushing in the same direction operating in a strong economy.

What can we learn from Johnson’s war on poverty? Is actually surprisingly hard to find particular programs and how they affected poverty in that era. Overall, broad role of economy- declines in poverty- flatness of economy since that time. Strong economic growth while at the same time reducing inequality. Broad conclusion to take is that a strong economy will help this, but it alone is not enough.

Cross cutting themes- importance of promoting decent work. Work should pay enough to meet basic needs; opportunity strategy that focuses on children’s ability to maximize life chances; economic security and wealth generation

Our main challenge is political & public will (i.e., we know what works and what to do, but must implement strategies). Solution cannot be only federal, cannot be only government, must be multi-level & cross-sector.

Q & A

Relative poverty versus absolute poverty? Absolute poverty is related to material deprivation. Relative poverty measures count those far from the norm (in UK, this is defined as children living in families with income below 60% of the median income).

How to frame poverty when talking with public so that the conversation isn’t about the “undeserving” poor? Take the focus of ‘helping them’ and look at benefits to all; for US to be a competitive nation into 21st century, must improve life changes of all of our children

Relationship of welfare reform and poverty? There was a dramatic increase in employment of parents, also EITC. Some say that when multiple initiatives occur at the same time, then we can’t disentangle appropriate factors to calculate results of individual program pieces.

Why two-parent families isn’t a part of the recommendations [made in Mark’s report]? Research not clear on what to do about this because of marriage being a private decision in US. There is a great concern not to push people into bad marriages, etc. Debate over role of government in private affairs.

Was role of child support enforcement examined? Yes- was not included in report because of desire to limit number of recommendations being made (12 made, sponsor wanted 3-5). Absent a second parent, child support would be beneficial. Additional comments regarding to prisoners and the amount of debt at re-entry due to back child support, law fees, etc.

How to deal with Wilmington- no social service component, but probably largest problem? Task Force will want to work though this with conversations.

  1. Review of work plan (Schooley)

First stage work groups being formed; expect to be active for next six months. Sign-up sheets passed around; workgroups to be staffed by KIDS COUNT in Delaware and legislative fellow. Are as follows:

  • Data and Research work group- Al Snyder, chair
  • Public Meeting & Outreach work group- Karen Curtis, chair
  • Agency Inventory work group- Cari DeSantis, chair

Data and Research will present at January meeting. Look at issues of: What is a child? What is poverty? ID risk factors, long term effects and cost to state

  1. Brainstorming (full group)

Group is tasked with creating a plan to reduce poverty. Think in terms of: what three things will have the greatest impact and/or best mobilize public will around the problem. In order to make these recommendations, what information/data do we need/want- i.e., our “wish list.”

Alternative measures of child poverty

Demographics overview

  • (Including) child population in 5-year age cohorts

Overview of what poverty ‘looks like’

  • Poverty by location
  • Do we understand why Kent/Sussex is so high?
  • What happened in DE in 90s to make us different from national trend?
  • Poverty by age
  • Borderline impoverished (middle class, couple of paychecks away)

Correlations with poverty

  • Homelessness
  • Substance abuse
  • Mental health
  • Teen pregnancy
  • Low birth weight
  • Dropout rate
  • School attendance
  • Incarcerated parents
  • Single-parent families
  • Child support
  • ‘Serial’ parents
  • Grandparent as primary caregiver
  • Access to child care

Investment values (i.e., $ invested in [area] saves $ in future spending)

Programs currently in place

  • Vision 2015
  • SEED
  • Success by 6
  • UD study on the child
  • Strong Communities
  • Task force and report on financial independence
  • Others…

Current system

  • Built to handle systematic or episodic?
  • Effectiveness of programs currently in place
  • Refreshers- including cost of doing & multi-state comparisons
  • EITC
  • SCHIP
  • How to break down silos
  • Housing access for low income families- gaps and barriers
  • Early care/education access- gaps and barriers
  • Higher education access- gaps and barriers
  • What is available for adults

Best practices

  • How to improve the institutions for the long term (past the 10 years)
  • Cohort- those who don’t remain in poverty
  • How to sustain a strong economy
  • What to do in absence of strong economy
  • How to frame issue to keep public will sustained
  • How to get private sector buy-in
  • How to focus our resources

What does NOT work

  1. Public comment period

When we’re thinking about solutions, we should make the distinction of what’s going to get families out of poverty (versus which supports simply make poverty more bearable)

Other- thanks/regards to Terry and staff for preparation work