Economic Opportunity Institute’s Post

DHS Secretary Valerie Arkoosh, MD, MPH recently visited CADES- Children and Adult Disability and Educational Services, a provider serving Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A) in Delaware County, and discussed the need for historic investments in Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2024-25 proposed budget, which would increase the number of Pennsylvanians who can access ID/A services, and support the professionals who care for Pennsylvanians with ID/A. Governor Shapiro’s budget proposal, which has received bipartisan support, would invest $483 million in federal and state funding to provide more resources for home and community-based service providers so they have the ability to increase the average starting wage from approximately $15/hour to $17/hour; an increase in wages would both attract and retain the qualified staff who provide these essential services. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3VB2PJT

CCC-Supported Legislation Making Moves & What’s Next In early June, the legislative session of the New York State Legislature ended for summer. At the state level, conversations mirrored a lot of what’s been and is still being discussed at the city level: lack of affordable child care access, high housing costs, and more. While there is still significant work to be done to uplift New York families overall, there was some really good progress made with state legislation that CCC supported. Reflecting on this year’s session, we are celebrating several legislative victories that promise to advance our collective goals, especially in supporting child care in New York State. Read our latest Insight to learn about the bills and more: https://bit.ly/nysleg24

From the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute: "Child care, elder care and disability care are crucial for our society. However, care work is not seen as a public good and is void of adequate public investment. Instead, our state and country place an undue child care burden on women despite their often needing and wanting to earn a living. In child care, we subsidize the true cost of care on the backs of ECE teachers, who, in Georgia, are disproportionately Black, and earn far less than the work demands." Read the GBPI's budget and policy recommendations paving the way to an accessible, thriving child care system that benefits both providers and families at https://buff.ly/3Yw1s1w

Exciting News from @GovKathyHochul ‘s 2025 State of the State Address! We're thrilled about the Governor's bold vision to improve the quality of life in our communities. Here are some key highlights: 💰 Affordability: Major reforms to put money back in New Yorkers' pockets, including an inflation refund, a historic expansion of the Child Tax Credit, and a middle-class tax cut. Plus, significant investments in affordable housing to ensure everyone has a place to call home. 🚨 Public Safety: Enhanced measures to keep New Yorkers safe, such as increased NYPD presence in subways, fighting transnational gangs, and supporting victims of domestic violence and assault. 👶 Supporting New York Families: Expanding the Baby Benefit Program, providing baby boxes for new moms, and investing in universal childcare to ensure every family can thrive. Additionally, a $1 billion investment in mental health services, and proposing new standards for involuntary commitment to compassionately help those in need. Governor Hochul is dedicated to making New York more affordable, safer, and supportive for all families. Let's work together to make this vision a reality! #StateOfTheState #NY2025 #BetterNY

NC and WI are similar in terms of being on the "frontlines of the battle for American democracy" according to this CAP article. In the last two decades, Wisconsin has been a primary target for attacks on democracy, education, and anti-labor laws. In 2010, Wisconsin Republicans redrew new voting districts that produced the most gerrymandered voting district maps in the country. Act 10 followed next, a law that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most of Wisconsin’s public employees. The next step was passing legislation to make Wisconsin a right-to-work state banning unions from requiring membership dues in privately held companies and allowing employees to be fired “at will” or without cause. Conservatives also repealed Wisconsin’s prevailing wage law that required a federal formula for state-funded capital projects. These efforts and others singled out Wisconsin due to its long legacy as a progressive bastion for labor rights. While we have new voting maps and a lawsuit challenging Act 10, NC will be important for us to watch and follow suit: https://lnkd.in/gtjbvhsN

States are experiencing a paradigm shift in addressing noncustodial parents and child support arrears, transitioning from punitive measures to supportive strategies. They can now utilize federal funding to establish employment and training programs for noncustodial parents. By providing education and training, these programs equip fathers with the skills needed for stable, well-paying jobs, enabling them to meet their child support obligations. As they secure employment, they can transition to employer-sponsored health insurance, reducing reliance on Medicaid. Let’s connect! #accountablity #effectivness #efficency #costsavings #BPO #maximus

An important step in the evolution of the child support program!

The Future is now! It is so exciting to see the hard work of so many child support leaders and staff, over the last 20 years, come to fruition! Thank you OCSS! Employment and training services can lead to better and more positive engagement with those we serve, a faster path for children to receive the support they need (including a relationship, with a parent they may not have one with), a better return on investment for agencies, and, a new collaboration point for the many agencies that are working to support familes! As a father of four sons, while I hope none of them finds themselves needing these services, this change brings me peace in knowing, that fathers working with the IV-D program, can now receive services to help improve there stability, instead of being required to "step up", in the classic, status quo, oversimplified definition, of what that means, through the "dead beat dad" compliance driven lens that we have employed for generations on, specifically, low-income fathers.

“The impact of the child care crisis does not end with families. It affects our country’s economic growth. A 2023 report found that the U.S. child care crisis has an economic toll of $122 billion in lost earnings, productivity and revenue every year. Tens of thousands of people miss work every month due to child care issues.’ We applaud everyone working to eliminate this crisis! At MomSub we are already implementing solutions that reduce the cost of in-home child care, grow the pool of providers, and increase average pay to child care workers. Our corporate program gives companies access to a benefit that reduces absenteeism, boosts recruitment, increases retention, improves productivity and shows working parents they care about their challenges Reach out to me to see how you can join the movement by getting your company on board to turn around this economic toll and help working parents. #childcare #workingmoms #nanny #sitter #caregiver #absenteeism #recruiting #retention #productivity #economicimpact

Here is a report on things that we can all agree on across the divides in our country: a bipartisan approach to children and families.