Child Poverty Council

Agenda

Welcome and Introductions Review Public Act 04-238 Review and Discuss Council Structure Review and Discuss Draft Workplans Review and Discuss Fact Sheet Review and Discuss Analysis of Effects Next Steps

Public Act 04-238

Establishes a Child Poverty Council to develop a 10-year plan to reduce child poverty by 50%

Composed of OPM,DCF, DSS, DOC, DMR, DMHAS, DOT, DPH, SDE, DECD, OHCA, DOL, BOGHE, OCA, Prevention Council, Children’s Trust Fund, Commission on Children and legislative appointees

Public Act 04-238

The plan shall contain:– Identification and analysis of the occurrence of

child poverty in the state;– Analysis of the long-term effects of child poverty;– Analysis of costs of child poverty to municipalities

and the state;

Public Act 04-238

Plan requirements (continued):– Inventory of statewide public and private

programs that address child poverty;– Percentage of target population served by such

programs;– Identification and analysis of any deficiencies or

inefficiencies of such programs;

Public Act 04-238

Plan requirements (continued):– Procedures and priorities for implementing strategies to

achieve a 50% reduction in child poverty, including: Vocational training Educational opportunities Housing Day Care and After School programs Health care access Treatment Programs and Services Child Nutrition

Public Act 04-238

In developing the plan, the Council shall consult with experts and service providers

The Council shall submit the plan to the legislature by January 1, 2005

The Council shall report annually beginning on January 1, 2006 on the implementation of the plan

Council Structure

Monthly meetings on the 3rd Wednesday of each month between 7/04 and 12/04

Council will set direction based on the public act

Council will establish and provide guidance to a subcommittee.

Council will review, modify and approve all subcommittee work.

Council Structure

The subcommittee will meet monthly in between Council meetings, unless more frequent meetings are needed.

The subcommittee will serve as a working committee to execute activities tasked by the Council

The subcommittee will develop the Child Poverty Plan with guidance from the Council

Draft Workplan

First Council Meeting – 7/28/04– Discuss P.A. 04-238– Review Council Structure and Meetings– Review and Approve Role of Subcommittee– Select Subcommittee members– Review Draft Fact Sheet on Child Poverty– Review Draft Analysis of Long-term Effects of

Child Poverty

Draft Workplan

Second Council Meeting – 8/18/04– Review outline of plan– Approve fact sheet on child poverty– Approve analysis of effects of child poverty– Review analysis of costs of child poverty– Review questions and methods for inventory– Review recommendations on participation of

panel of experts

Draft Workplan

Third Council Meeting – 9/15/04– Approve analysis of costs of child poverty– Review draft inventory of statewide programs that

address child poverty– Discuss any deficiencies or inefficiencies of

statewide public and private programs with panel of experts and service providers

Draft Workplan

Fourth Council Meeting – 10/20/04– Approve identification and analysis of any

deficiencies or inefficiencies in statewide programs

– Review potential strategies to achieve a fifty percent reduction in child poverty in the state by 6/30/14

Draft Workplan

Fifth Council Meeting – 11/17/04– Public Hearing

Sixth Council Meeting – 12/15/04– Review and approve plan– Next steps

Draft Workplan

First Subcommittee Meeting – 8/5/04– Review P.A. 04-238– Discuss charge and deliverables– Identify approaches, resources and meetings– Develop outline for plan– Modify fact sheet and analysis– Develop analysis of costs of poverty– Develop methods for inventory– Develop participation for experts

Draft Workplan

Second Subcommittee Meeting – 9/1/04– Revise analysis of costs of child poverty– Prepare and conduct inventory

Third Subcommittee Meeting – 9/20/04– Revise inventory based on Council comments– Develop description of deficiencies or inefficiencies of

programs based on discussion with experts– Identify potential strategies to achieve a 50% reduction in

child poverty

Draft Workplan

Fourth Subcommittee Meeting – 10/22/04– Revise strategies based on Council comments

Fifth Subcommittee Meeting – 11/10/04– Prepare for public hearing

Sixth Subcommittee Meeting – 12/8/04– Incorporate all necessary changes from public

hearing comments– Draft final plan for review by Council

Draft Fact Sheet

Connecticut Population in 2002– Total state population = 3,460,503– Children under 18 = 872,853

Poverty in Connecticut– Children in poverty = 87,285– 2004 poverty level for family of 4 = $18,850– Child poverty rate in CT decreased from 14% in

1996 to 10% in 2001

Draft Fact Sheet

Demographics of Child Poverty– In 2002, child poverty rate in Hartford was 41%, in

New Haven was 32%, and in Bridgeport was 25%.

– In 2002, child poverty rate for Latinos was 31%, for African Americans was 25%, and for whites was 4%.

– 24% of CT children live in households with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

Draft Fact Sheet

Family Income– In 2000, the median family income in CT was

$64,692.– The median family income for married couple

families was $78,587 and the median for single female headed households was $24,626.

– It takes two full-time, year round jobs at $9/hr to raise a family of 4 above the poverty level

Resource List

Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kids Count Data Book, 2004 U.S. Department of HHS, Poverty Level Guidelines for 2004,

www.uscensus.gov Connecticut Association for Human Services, Investing in

Families…Investing in Our Future Annie E. Casey Foundation, Latino Children and African-

American Children: State Level Measures of Child Well-Being 2002

National Center for Children in Poverty, Investing in Children by Supporting Work: Information Forum on Child Poverty 2004

Effects of Child Poverty

The Context– The United States has the highest child poverty

rate out of the 17 wealthiest countries– Between 2002 and 2003, the number of poor

children in the US rose from 11.7 to 12.1 million– In 2002, the state child poverty rate was the 7th

lowest in the nation– In seven of the state’s communities, more than

one-fifth of the children live in poverty

Effects of Child Poverty

Health Effects– Children in poverty are 3.6 times more likely to

have poor health and 5 times more likely to die from an infectious disease.

– Connecticut ranks 22nd among states with babies of low birth weight.

– Infant mortality, serious physical disabilities, grade repetition and learning disabilities are more prevalent among low birth weight children.

Effects of Child Poverty

– 34% of children from lower income households are obese, compared to 19% of children from higher income households.

– Poor children are at a higher risk for asthma, and lead poisoning.

– Poor children who go hungry perform significantly below non-hungry low-income children on standardized tests.

– Children under the age of 6 who’s parents exhibit depression are at two to five times greater risk for: homelessness, use of food banks, lack of medical care, unreliable child care and placement in foster care.

Effects of Child Poverty

Learning Effects– High school students from low income families drop out of

school six times as often as students from high-income families.

– In Hartford, Bridgeport, New London and New Britain the high school drop out rate is between 29-31%

– Children that live below the poverty level are 1.3 times more likely to have developmental delays or learning disabilities that non-poor children

– A child growing up on welfare hears about 3,000 words by age 6, while children from higher-income families have a 20,000 word vocabulary

Effects of Child Poverty

Effects of Teen Pregnancy– Poor teens give birth 3 times the rate of non-poor teens.– Children of teenage mothers are more likely to perform

poorly in school.– Children of teenage mothers are more likely to repeat a

grade, score lower on standardized tests and are less likely to complete high school.

– Teen mothers are more likely to drop out of high school and are less likely to receive a college degree.