Clear all

12 results found

reorder grid_view

Serving Americans Well: Removing Bureaucracy to Help Americans Access Tax Credits

June 15, 2023

While tax credits can be incredibly effective at helping families afford basic needs and lifting working families out of poverty, the process of claiming them is difficult and confusing for many low- and middle-income families. Even among savvy tax filers, confusion is common. Additional barriers pervade the system for very low-income families, making it difficult for the people who need tax credits the most to get them. The IRS has made progress towards a simpler process, however much more needs to be done to ensure all Americans are served well by our tax filing system. While this issue has sadly become a political football, at root it is simply a matter of making our government work better for taxpayers. Simplifying eligibility for tax credits and removing extra bureaucracy in the process would immediately reduce childhood poverty and material hardship and translate to various long-term positive outcomes for families and society at large. Based on lessons learned from three years of work helping thousands of families in Illinois access their stimulus checks and Child Tax Credits, this paper translates the experiences of hard-working families into a series of policy recommendations from the Chicago team.

A Call to Funders: Tactics in Law, Policy and Advocacy for Reproductive and Birth Justice

January 25, 2023

On November 16, 222, Funders for Birth Justice and Equity convened over 80 funders and donors for a special webinar on how philanthropy can support the ecosystem of activism toward reproductive and birth justice.  The webinar, supported by Irving Harris Foundation, Perigee Fund, and co-sponsored by ECFC and other philanthropic partners,  presented a conversation between four community-based legal experts examining: how systems threaten people's ability to make decisions about their bodies, families, and communities; law and policy work being done on the ground to transform the architecture of our health and human service systems; and how funders can partner with advocacy groups to support the ecosystem of activism toward reproductive and birth justice, and advance bodily autonomy and full spectrum care for pregnant, birthing people, and their families.This report summarizes the specific strategies and invitations to action shared on the webinar; highlights examples of inspiring grassroots efforts taking place across the country; and invites funders to be part of supporting the kind of transformative work that will bring us closer to achieving reproductive and birth justice.

Election Integrity: A Pro-Voter Agenda

February 1, 2017

President Trump recently claimed millions voted illegally in the 2016 election, and called for a "major investigation" into fraud in our election system. His remarks come after years of battles in the states over voting laws that make it harder for many citizens to participate in our elections. Yet the clamor over voter suppression should not obscure a fundamental shared truth: American elections should be secure and free of misconduct. This paper outlines a six-part agenda to target fraud risks as they actually exist -- without unduly disenfranchising eligible citizens.

Minnesota Early Childhood Risk and Reach

September 1, 2015

This summary presents indicators of risk to the healthy development of young children and the extent of coverage of publicly funded services to meet their needs. The full report includes county-by-county analysis for Minnesota.

Election Day Long Lines: Resource Allocation

September 17, 2014

Precincts with fewer poll workers and voting machines and more minorities experienced longer voting lines in the 2012 presidential election, according to a study by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, a MacArthur grantee. The study, Election Day Long Lines: Resource Allocation, provides an in-depth look at the relationships between resource distribution, race, and the length of voting lines in Florida, Maryland, and South Carolina. The 10 South Carolina precincts with the longest wait times had, on average, 64 percent registered black voters, compared to 27 percent across the state. The 10 Maryland precincts with the fewest voting machines per voter had, on average, 19 percent Latino voting age citizens, compared to 7 percent across the state. The study also found many precincts did not comply with state requirements for allocating voting resources.

Increasing the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Existing Public Investments in Early Childhood Education: Recommendations to Boost Program Outcomes and Efficiency

June 1, 2012

Proposes ten reforms to maximize the impact of Head Start, Child Care Development Block Grants, and other existing funding streams, including working with states to align standards, improving provider quality, and enhancing data collection and reporting.

Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care: Expand Monitoring and Technical Assistance

June 13, 2011

Highlights findings about the need for regular monitoring, unannounced inspections, and technical assistance for childcare providers of infants and toddlers to ensure that licensing regulations and health and safety measures are implemented correctly.

State CCDBG Plans to Promote Opportunities for Babies & Toddlers in Child Care

December 22, 2009

Reviews states' 2008-09 plans for using Child Care and Development Block Grant funds to help low-income families access child care. Cites examples aligned with CLASP's recommendations for ensuring environments that support healthy growth and development.

Federal Expenditures on Infants and Toddlers in 2007

April 30, 2009

Estimates how much the federal government spends on children under age three, on which programs and purposes, and in what form. Compares findings with research on the most effective investments, including Early Head Start and childcare assistance.

Building on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to Early Head Start for Young Children and Their Families

August 14, 2008

Discusses twenty states' approaches to expanding and enhancing Early Head Start services, opportunities and challenges for state initiatives, and recommendations for building on existing services for at-risk children. Calls for increased federal funding.

Ensuring Quality Care for Low-Income Babies: Contracting Directly With Providers to Expand and Improve Infant and Toddler Care

July 1, 2008

Outlines current state childcare subsidy policies and the need to provide high-quality early childhood care to all families. Recommends contracting directly with providers to secure spaces for low-income babies and to ensure higher standards of care.

The Future of Public Television

October 1, 2005

This conference report provides analyses and perspectives from national public broadcasting and communications professionals who convened at a two-day conference hosted by the Cultural Policy Center.