creating opportunity for families: a two generation approach

NOV. 12, 2014 0

The Problem • • Almost half of our nation’s young children (birth to age 8) — or 17 million kids — are growing up in low-income families.

• Forty-two percent of children born to parents at the bottom of the income ladder stay there.

We need to ensure these kids have a shot at the American dream. 1

In Connecticut • • • • 80,000 children under age 5 are in low income households.

One-third of children age 5 or younger in low-income families have parents with concerns about their development.

60% of low-income families with young kids have no parent working full-time, year round.

80% of low-income parents do not have a postsecondary degree.

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Families Are Struggling to Make Ends Meet 3

Multiple Stressors Increase the Challenges for Families

Today’s low-income parents face challenges at work and home — and with their child care and education:

• • • inflexible, unpredictable jobs and insufficient income lack of access to high-quality early child care and education parent and child stress at home 4

The Two-Generation Approach Equip families with the tools and skills they need to get on a path to opportunity and overcome obstacles they face — job training and caregiving skills for parents and high-quality early education for children.

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Our Approach: Strengthening the Whole Family

Financial Stability

• Education and job training • Access to income and work support benefits • Financial coaching • Access to affordable financial products

Parent Involvement

• Treating parents as assets and experts on their kids • Having culturally competent staff • Addressing family stress • Enhancing social networks

Quality Early Care and Elementary Education

• Access to high quality early education programs • Successful transition to elementary school • Quality elementary school experiences • Effective teaching 6

Our Goal: Better Outcomes for Families

PARENT OUTCOMES

Less parental stress Stronger parenting skills Parent confidence as child’s first teacher and best advocate Recognition of parents as leaders and experts on caring for their kids

FAMILY ECONOMIC OUTCOMES

Ability to meet basic needs Greater income and financial stability Ability to achieve major economic outcomes Housing stability

CHILD OUTCOMES

More positive, high quality interactions with parents Improved social emotional development Readiness for school Ability to meet school and life milestones 7

The Challenge Today Many federal and state programs operate in isolation • • Adult programs treat children as barriers to employment Child programs often do not help parents who are struggling with day-to-day stress of providing for their family 6

Policy Recommendations Create policies that equip parents and children with the income, tools and skills for success.

Make government policies and programs more family friendly.

Build evidence on promising programs and platforms focusing on parents and children together.

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Equip Families With the Income and Tools They Need • Enable families keep more of the income they earn to raise their family Increase and make refundable the child tax credit and expand the earned income tax credit for workers without dependents • Strengthen policies that equip parents with limited education and job skills to earn a family-supporting income. – Adult-serving programs should build bridges to family and child programs – Policies should pay particular attention to the role of fathers 8

Equip Families With the Income and Tools They Need • • • Give parents more flexibility and paid time off (family and sick leave) and options for parents to create more flexible work arrangements Connect families to health care and newly expanded mental health programs now available to adults.

Recognize parents’ strengths, help them interact with fellow parents and build peer support systems, and offer leadership development opportunities . 9

Make Government More Family Friendly • • • • Use interagency commissions and innovation funds to promote cross-sector collaboration Connect child and adult data systems Adopt practices that offer “no wrong door” and take the whole family into account Use new federal legislation and reauthorization periods to begin to bridge policies and programs

Build Evidence on Promising Programs and Platforms

Schools

and

early-education

,

home visiting

and

job-training programs

are some of the platforms that offer opportunities to create partnerships that address in the needs of parents and children together.

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Core Principles • • • Parent voice is critical. Partner with families in creating solutions and decision making.

Poverty disproportionately affects children of color. Prioritize equity for all families.

Government can’t do this alone. Engage a full range of public and private partners.

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A Call to Action • • A child’s success is strongly tied to his or her family’s stability and well-being.

The success of our country depends on a next generation that has been given the opportunity to reach its full potential. 15

Q&A •

Questions: [email protected]

•

Report and additional resources: www.aecf.org

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