Solutions to Poverty

1
Solutions to Poverty

• Summit
• Monroe, Louisiana
• December 6-7, 2004
• Jodie Levin-Epstein
• Deputy Director
• Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
• Washington, DC
• www.clasp.org

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Solutions to Poverty Summit

• The call to this first annual summit is
  important
• Poverty affects all of us...Louisiana has the
  highest poverty rate in the country.  It is time
  we work together on solving this problem.

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Solutions to Poverty

• Among the solutions
• PREVENTION
• WAGES THAT WORK
• MEASURES THAT MATTER

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Solutions to Poverty Prevention

• Solution 1 Prevention of Premature Parenting

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Solutions to Poverty Prevention

• Facts Teen births in Louisiana
• 16 of all births are to teenagers 10,595 in
  one year
• 23 of the births to teenagers are a second or
  subsequent child
• Louisiana ranks 45th only 5 states have worse
  rates
• Source
• Child Trends. Facts at Glance 2003 2001 birth
  data

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Solutions to Poverty Prevention

• Research now points to programs that work at
  preventing premature parenting
• Communities can chose program type that fits
• Service learning programs
• Comprehensive youth development and reproductive
  health
• Nurse home visitation
• Early childhood interventions Abecedarian, Perry
  Pre-School

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Solutions to Poverty Wages that Work

• Solution 2 Wages above Poverty

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Solutions to Poverty Wages that Work

• Facts Wages in Louisiana
• 4.4 of hourly wage workers earn the minimum
  wage or less
• Louisiana ranks 47th TX,OK,NM are worse
• 33.3 of jobs pay below poverty
• Louisiana ranks 48th tied with WV Arkansas
  ranks 50th

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Solutions to Poverty Wages that Work

• Promising approaches to wages that work
• Minimum wage campaigns
• 2004 Ballot Initiatives Florida and Nevada
• 2002 New Orleans
• 2004 Louisiana Legislature
• Living wage campaigns
• Employers using government funds
• 70 localities

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Solutions to Poverty Measures that Matter

• Solution 3 Vision and Transparency

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Solutions to Poverty Measures that Matter

• Self-Sufficiency Standard
• At what point does a family have sufficient
  income and resources (such as health benefits) to
  meet their needs adequately, without public or
  private assistance?
• The Louisiana Self-Sufficiency Standard
• For state-wide and parish data
• http//www.agendaforchildren.org/pages/LASelfSuff
  iciencyStandard.pdf

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Solutions to Poverty Measures that Matter

• Louisiana uses performance-based budgeting
• Challenge is to set challenging goals
• Eradicate child poverty by 2020 UK
• Challenge is to set a bold vision
• Governor Terry Sanfords North Carolina Fund
• became a model for the War on Poverty 40 years
  ago