Simple policy proposals such as a state child care tax credit or providing statefunded full-day preschool can go a long way to address the obstacles low-income families face daily, according to a new report released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The report, “Creating Opportunity for Families: A Two-Generation Approach,” breaks nationwide data down by state, providing snapshots of the hurdles low-income families must overcome on a daily basis while still ensuring their children are receiving the care and attention they require.
According to the report, more than half of New Jersey’s children 8 years old and under live in families where neither parent is able to secure full-time, year-round employment.
“I think it reflects our economy,” Cecilia Zalkind, executive director of Advocates for the Children of New Jersey, said in commenting on the report. “When you look at families who are struggling, the norm is no longer having a full-time job.
“You have a lot of people who work parttime, multiple part-time jobs. You have a lot of people who have seasonal employment who are laid off in the middle of the year,” she said. “That stable 9-5, 40-hour-a-week job is just not there for those families.”
New Jersey is one of 14 states that do not offer a child care tax credit in addition to the federal tax credit, and all-day public preschool is only available in the 31 poorest school districts in the state, Zalkind said.
The median monthly costs for a single parent with two children are $4,889, according to the report, while the average monthly earnings for a high-school graduate amount to $2,636.
The challenges imposed by that fact are exacerbated by the fact that 79 percent of low-income families with children in New Jersey do not have a post-secondary degree of any kind.
According to Zalkind, 25 to 40 percent of a struggling family’s income will be dedicated to child care expenses alone.
“It certainly creates insecurity on every level,” she said. “You have families who struggle to meet the basics. You know, food on the table, clothes to wear, a house or place to live.”
The impact on children living amid the stress and fear inherent in such an environment cannot be overstated, Zalkind said.
“Their parents are stressed, they’re busy, and they don’t have the time and attention to give to their kids,” she said. “I think when children live in poverty it has an impact on other aspects of their lives.”
According to the report, 28 percent of children age 5 and under are at risk for developmental delays due to poverty-related pressures.
These include difficulties finding quality child care while parents are at work or searching for a job; a lack of access to proper nutrition; and a stressful home environment. “Children who may not be getting their basic needs met … [are being] impacted,” Zalkind said. “There’s been a lot of research done lately on toxic stress and the impact of stress on young children [regarding] earlychildhood brain development.”
The results suggest that normal brain development is impeded when high levels of stress are introduced to a child’s environment, she added.
The Casey Foundation’s report proposes a handful of potential solutions and avenues to expand programs that are already working and make them more efficient.
Tightening state regulations regarding the quality of child care centers would also provide much-needed information to families searching for adequate supervision for their children during the workday, Zalkind said.
Other proposals include better coordinating programs and services for low-income families, like skills training and education for adults.
The report touts federal initiatives that seek to connect workers and students with the resources, employers and institutions that can meet their needs.
Assistance programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, are also included in the report as potentially successful solutions.
In addition to public policy proposals, the report urges private businesses to adopt measures like paid sick leave and “familyfriendly schedule policies,” citing Costco as an example.
“Access needs to be expanded, and opportunities need to be strengthened through these programs,” Zalkind said.
In many cases the necessary resources are there, they are just not being made available to some of the families that could benefit most, she added.
The report also encourages partnerships between public and private entities, as well as nonprofit organizations.
“We hope this report will spark deep commitment in Washington and in board rooms across the country to remove the obstacles that prevent millions of families from putting their kids on a path to success,” Patrick McCarthy, president and CEO of the Casey Foundation, said. “For too long, our approach to poverty has focused separately on children and adults, instead of their interrelated needs. We’ve learned a lot about what works in separate areas, but we’re not combining these lessons to break the cycle of poverty.”
While the report has outlined the problems and offered suggestions for how to move forward, action cannot come from advocacy organizations alone, Zalkind said.
“[The report] is basic common sense. It’s really talking about how to coordinate more effectively and how to take advantage of a program that already exists and make it stronger,” she said. “There’s a lot for the state to look at in this report, and I hope they pay attention.”
The full report can be viewed at www.aecf.org/resources/creating-opportunity for-families.