Ellie Driscoll’s Post

🔎 Dig into the numbers: Rx Kids Director Dr. Mona Hanna and Co-Director Luke Shaefer (et al.) explain what scaling up prenatal and infant cash transfers like Rx Kids across the nation would look like 👀 : https://lnkd.in/gwvy-Kfk "The national scaling of a new program of prenatal and infant cash prescription has the potential to secure bipartisan support, and could tap into an existing, sustainable funding stream in TANF that is underutilized. Through the reappropriation of TANF dollars and a modest additional investment by the federal government, families across the United States—and especially those in persistently poor communities—can welcome a new baby with the financial stability to ensure a lifetime of health and opportunity." ❤️ #TANF #Bipartisan #RxKids MSU Public Health University of Michigan Poverty Solutions The Brookings Institution

🗣️ This system is rigged People experiencing poverty are not only losing trust in services and national politics, but also facing stigma that is causing even more emotional and psychological distress as harmful narratives are pushed by those in power and the media. Demos have published our groundbreaking research that uses social media listening analytics to explore the experience and impact of poverty, by listening to those with direct experience of the issues we care about. Aleks Collingwood and Rosario Piazza, from JRF’s Insight and Infrastructure team, are working in partnership with Demos throughout 2024, to build up a detailed understanding of how people talk about poverty in online support spaces, with their peers, in real time. Guided by our Grassroots Poverty Action Group, a diverse group of advocates with direct experience of poverty from across the UK, and with the support of CASM Technology the first of 4 snapshots in 2024 has dropped. So, what are people in poverty talking about online? - The challenges navigating services. People find services stressful and difficult to navigate, to the point where some question if it is deliberate. - The impact on relationships and family. Financial precarity and relationship breakdown form a vicious cycle, with divorce and custody battles often aggravating already precarious economic circumstances. - The emotional and psychological distress caused by instability and hardship. Stigma and suspicion associated with those on benefits, including political and media rhetoric about ‘scroungers’ are reinforcing feelings of shame, hopelessness, and worsening mental health. - The challenges surrounding energy and housing bills. Mortgage increases, substandard rented accommodation, inability to afford energy bills and the risk of homelessness. - Low trust in national politics. High-profile incidents including the Post Office and Contaminated Blood scandal have further damaged trust, and the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill is being viewed with suspicion in this context. Read the full report by Sophia Knight, Hannah Perry and Alice Dawson of Demos, here: https://lnkd.in/euSeBQ38

"Cutting Child Poverty in Half and More: Pandemic-Era Lessons from Child and Family Advocates and Organizers" distills five key lessons learned from interviews with over 30 organizers and advocates who contributed to the success of driving down child poverty for all children in 2020 and 2021. It draws on their insights to inform future efforts to transform federal and state policies on behalf of young children marginalized by racism, xenophobia, and economic inequality and their families and caregivers. 1. Center families with lived experience: Learn how centering families, especially those of color and immigrant backgrounds, enhances policy design and implementation. 2. Expand coalitions to engage families, care workers, and allies: Discover the power of uniting families, care workers, and allies to build stronger advocacy efforts. 3. Build federal-state strategies to achieve equity: Understand the importance of federal and state collaboration to achieve equity and scale. 4. Strengthen coalition infrastructure: Gain insights into building robust coalitions with diverse perspectives and strong governance structures. 5. Sustain long-term efforts: Recognize the importance of long-term advocacy and organizing to create lasting policy changes. Learn more by reading the policy paper and registering for the July 11 webinar: https://lnkd.in/eVEB6ZUD #SocialJustice #ChildPoverty #PolicyReform #ChildAdvocacy #CareCantWait #FCDConversationSeries

So, what are people in poverty talking about online? - The challenges navigating services. - The impact on relationships and family. - The emotional and psychological distress caused by instability and hardship. - The challenges surrounding energy and housing bills. - Low trust in national politics.

This month's article in the NYSOFA newsletter is focused on poverty and its affects on older adults: https://lnkd.in/eKUNxpWF

I am writing to voice my disappointment that the Youth Justice Select Committee has disbanded. The causes of crime are complex and include significant systemic drivers. The solutions require intensive integration across government systems and across and between government and non-government services. The solutions also require mature leadership to examine evidence and propose real solutions. By the time someone is engaged in violent and anti-social behaviours, a lot has gone wrong. Exposure to adverse childhood experiences is linked to a greater risk of behavioural issues, poverty in adulthood, poor health and mental health, and complex homelessness in later life. Those adverse experiences include childhood poverty, community exclusion, racism, homelessness and exposure to violence. High-quality, fail-safe integration across health, education, family support, and housing systems is needed to identify families and children at risk of or experiencing exposure to adverse events. From a public policy point of view, investment in poverty prevention, family support, education, housing, health and community inclusion is vital. The Committee had an opportunity to help us chart our way to prevention while also recommending immediate measures for evidence-based rehabilitation, and how people who have experienced the consequences of crime can be best supported. I deeply acknowledge the trauma when people experience the consequences of crime. I am on the record voicing my deep concern for families and communities wrenched apart by crimes that are shocking. But I call us all to chart our way to a future where everything is done to prevent the circumstances that lead to such events. There is no comfort in incarcerating someone if others are still left behind dealing with those consequences. I call on both the LNP and ALP to reconvene, and at least report on the recommendations that can be agreed upon. Ideas must be tested, and I am certain there would have been many areas of agreement to at least allow us to make some progress. If we achieved genuine prevention, I am certain fewer people would emerge into complex homelessness in later life. I cannot think of an area of public policy more interconnected with many other key challenges we face.

Fighting Child Poverty: The Power of Head Start This ABC-TV report reveals worrying statistics about child poverty in Ohio. Families like Taisha Suggs' are working hard but still struggle to meet basic needs. Programs like Head Start are making a difference by providing critical support for both children and parents. Dr. Jacklyn Chisholm of Step Forward says it best: “At Head Start, we feed the children, we educate the children. We even educate the parents.” Addressing childhood poverty starts with giving families the tools they need to succeed. Learn more about the challenges Ohio families face and how programs like Head Start are a lifeline in ABC News 5 Cleveland: https://bit.ly/3Uh3pMV October is #HeadStartAwareness Month! #EndChildPoverty #EarlyHeadStart Step Forward @OhioHeadStart #Region5HeadStartAssociation #EarlyHeadStart

Ending Childhood Poverty  https://lnkd.in/gEkMy9JU Marianne Dhenin: Childhood poverty continues to plague the U.S., though simple solutions exist to address it. Will the next administration implement them?

An important component in eliminating childhood poverty is educational opportunity and achievement. At our recent Child Poverty Forum in East St. Louis, panelists provided their thoughts on the roadmap ahead for the community. Read about the event and their suggestions in this article. #childpoverty #childadvocacy

In partnership with NSPCC, today we publish our latest research on early childhood poverty in the UK, as part of our ongoing Early Moments Matter Campaign. Grounded in the experiences of parents with young children and early childhood professionals, the report details the barriers facing UK families on low incomes to access the core early childhood services they need, across maternity, health visiting and family hubs.      The research found that families experiencing poverty face barriers to accessing early childhood services at every level, and that services are often limited, hard to reach, under resourced or unable to support the needs of families experiencing financial hardship. Poverty has a hugely negative impact on a young child’s development, which follows them through their childhood and into adulthood. These vital services are essential in mitigating the impacts of poverty so it’s critical that the UK Government takes action to improve access to early childhood services and reduces the impact of poverty on babies and young children. The upcoming new UK-wide Child Poverty Strategy and the Spring Spending Review create such important opportunities for the leadership, action and investment so urgently needed to support children and families living in poverty across the country. One mother told researchers: “It’s so overwhelming and I haven’t got much food, I haven’t got enough for the kids, but then if someone supports you and points you in the right direction… it’s like a godsend if they tell you that’s available and you’re full of anxiety because you’re on your last £5 and you’ve got children and when they’re telling you towards the right directions that’s amazing, they’re doing the right thing.” With thanks to the team for ensuring the voices and experiences of parents are centred in this research, and to our colleagues in NSPCC for such positive collaboration, driven by our shared commitment to children and their families. Read the full report and our recommendations to government here: https://lnkd.in/e3ikYR87