Safety Net – Page 3

Universal Child Care and Early Learning

Problem

Accessing affordable child care has presented problems for families for a long time, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the issue across the board. While every family in the Commonwealth has felt the impact of this crisis, those most vulnerable have felt the hardest impacts. The child care industry relies heavily on women of color. Facility closures due to this crisis have left many of them jobless and many working parents to fend for themselves.

Solution

To create a more equitable and inclusive economy we must start by providing affordable, high-quality child care. Everyone who wants to work should be able to do so, but to make that possible, the barriers to Virginia’s child care access must be broken down. We must make historic investments in our early childhood education system, calling for child care to be recognized as a public necessity that will be affordable and accessible for all Virginia families. Every family with a child from birth through 4 years old will have access to affordable quality child care. Families that make up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Limit (“FPL”) will receive free child care. Families that make over 200% will pay no more than 7% of their income regardless of their family size.

901 Student Passport – A Local Getaway for Students and Families

Problem

The fight to slow the spread of COVID-19 resulted in communities across the country sheltering in place for weeks and months throughout much of 2020. No one felt the impact of this intervention more than small children and the parents left to stimulate them. In Shelby County, TN, most schools were abruptly shuttered after Spring Break. Parks and recreational facilities were closed for several months. Summer camps canceled off-site activities, families halted playdates, and, when school began in the fall, most local school systems kept students at home to learn virtually.

At the same time, local galleries and museums were revamping how visitors could tour their spaces while reducing contamination from COVID-19. Despite their best efforts, tourism was at record-low levels and most non-profit boards reported fears that they might shut down permanently due to reductions in attendance and philanthropic support.

Solution

In Summer 2020, the Shelby County Mayor’s Office created the community’s first-of-its-kind “901 Student Passport.” The program was a collaboration between local government and eight arts, culture, and historical institutions across Shelby County. Each institution received a $30,000 economic stipend to allow every school-age child and their parents to receive free admission through the end of the first semester of school. Parents could download and print a Student Passport or pick up one from every local library in the County.

Upon visiting a location, the Passport received a special stamp. After earning a stamp at each local destination, families mailed or emailed their completed passports to the Mayor’s Office to receive a congratulatory gift box that included items to exercise their bodies and minds. Each box included a colorful puzzle game, durable jump rope, journal, and a personal note from Mayor Lee Harris.

NewDEALers On The Hill

This week, two NewDEALers traveled to Washington to testify before Congressional committees. Oregon Treasurer Tobias Read met with the Senate Finance Committee to discuss his state’s successful OregonSaves program, the first state-sponsored private sector retirement program in the nation. One of the country’s leading advocates for transforming American workers’ ability to save for retirement, Read touted the strong performance of the program, which has saved 110,000 Oregonians more than $123 million since its launch in 2017. Separately, former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes appeared before the Committee on House Administration to discuss voter suppression, subversion, and election worker intimidation. See more about Fontes’ testimony, during which he described the escalation of threats against election officials and implored Congress to pass legislation that provides “election workers and voters with safety measures necessary to enable them to do their jobs or to vote without threats or intimidation.”

Investing in Affordable Child Care in Maine

NewDEAL Leader Speaker of the Maine House Ryan Fecteau is working to meet the needs of Maine residents struggling to find affordable, quality child care by sponsoring a bill that would require several state agencies to prioritize the training and recruitment of more workers into the childcare profession. Additionally, once COVID-19 relief funds that will be used for a similar purpose are exhausted, the legislation would allocate $4.5 million each year to continue supplementing higher wages, as chronically low wages make worker retention and recruitment difficult. Read more about Rep. Fecteau’s bill here.

Texan NewDEALers Lead Recovery Efforts

After the winter storms and amid the resulting energy disaster in Texas, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg have moved quickly to spur community recovery efforts. Johnson, who directed the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund to help with response and recovery efforts in Dallas, just announced the distribution of $500,000 to 25 local organizations. In San Antonio, Nirenberg quickly established the San Antonio Community Pipe Repair Fund, which will pay for emergency repairs in homes. In addition, Nirenberg named a new panel to probe his city’s storm preparedness and increase resilience before the next one. Nirenberg also partnered with local restaurants to distribute 1,000 meals to struggling families.

Workforce Recovery Program

This week, NewDEAL Leader San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg announced a new partnership with local workforce development agencies to offer jobs training and education to residents of his city who have been most negatively impacted by the pandemic, all at no cost. The program hopes to serve 10,000 residents by this time next year. “The City of San Antonio is committed to helping out our most vulnerable residents recover from the economic effects of the pandemic,” Nirenberg said, “and we can do this best by providing them with training and educational opportunities, so they can get back to work quickly and benefit from a brighter career outlook.” Read the city’s release here.

College Savings Program

Problem

In our modern economy, a college degree is still the primary way that children can become self-sufficient and contributing adults. Unfortunately for many students — especially in low-income areas — lack of sufficient savings for college has been a barrier to higher educational attainment, limiting opportunities for future economic success.

Solution

Treasurer Jones is proposing to provide each child entering Kindergarten in a public school in St. Louis a seed account with $50, which they would have the chance to build upon via financial incentives for good grades, perfect attendance, and family participation in a financial wellness program. Studies show that kids with savings accounts are more likely to enroll in and graduate from college, and therefore become meaningful contributors to the economy. Children’s Savings Accounts (CSAs) also have the capacity to change an entire family’s mental, emotional, and economic health with spillover effects changing the family’s spending and saving patterns.

Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program

Problem

Roughly half the private sector workforce, including over 2.5 million Illinois residents, lack access to employer-sponsored retirement plans and will not have enough money saved up for retirement. That means that a large percentage of workers will be almost entirely dependent on Social Security – which is not a sustainable way to ensure older adult participation in our economy.

Solution

Senator Biss proposed that workers in Illinois without access to employer sponsored plans should be automatically enrolled in an IRA so they can easily save for retirement. Neither the state nor employers would contribute to Secure Choice retirement accounts, and assets from individual contributions would be pooled to ensure low fees and secure investments. This program would significantly increase savings rates, taxpayers wouldn’t be on the hook for anything, and employers wouldn’t have to manage any burden more significant than processing a payroll deduction.

Financial Literacy For All

Problem

Currently, several groups manage various financial literacy resources and tools within their own domains but there is no central location or resource for people of every age to leverage these tools. Additionally, there is no group to look for partnership opportunities across these organizations and resources.

Solution

State Treasurer Cowell has proposed centralizing these financial literacy resources, both public and private, in a one stop portal for every age and life cycle stage for greater access to these tools. Through partnerships with local banks, financial planning groups, and other community resources and sponsors the program would gain funding as well as services to be featured within this central resource. Understanding how to manage your money and save for the future is critical knowledge at any age and helps everyone learn how to contribute to our growing economy.

Local Pension Oversight

Problem

Pensions that are underfunded at the city and county level are often a major driver of local budget shortfalls.

Solution

Senator Mello proposed legislation this year requiring local pension plans that are underfunded or underwater to file a report with the Legislature analyzing the plan’s condition and identifying potential solutions. By providing state oversight of local pension plans, the policy encourages local governments to adopt best practices and creates a positive, long-term impact on local budgets.

Universal Child Care and Early Learning

Problem

Solution

901 Student Passport – A Local Getaway for Students and Families

Problem

Solution

NewDEALers On The Hill

Investing in Affordable Child Care in Maine

Texan NewDEALers Lead Recovery Efforts

Workforce Recovery Program

College Savings Program

Problem

Solution

Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program

Problem

Solution

Financial Literacy For All

Problem

Solution

Local Pension Oversight

Problem

Solution

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