bridge to benefits: helping families improve economic stability by enrolling in public programs
DESCRIPTION
Bridge to Benefits: Helping Families Improve Economic Stability by Enrolling in Public Programs. C HILDREN’S D EFENSE F UND M INNESOTA. Children’s Defense Fund. Nonpartisan, nonprofit organization CDF does not seek nor accept any government funds MN is one of 13 state and regional offices - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Bridge to Benefits:Helping Families Improve Economic Stability by Enrolling in Public Programs
CHILDREN’S DEFENSE FUND
MINNESOTA
Children’s Defense Fund• Nonpartisan, nonprofit organization
• CDF does not seek nor accept any government funds• MN is one of 13 state and regional offices
• The mission of the Children’s Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind and to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.
CDF Minnesota Initiatives
Research & Education:• MN KIDS COUNT Data Book
Outreach:
• Bridge to Benefits
Legislative Advocacy:• Health Care• Child Care• Minimum Wage
What is Bridge to Benefits?
1. Multi-state project by CDF-MN to improve the well-being of families and individuals by linking them to public work support programs and tax credits• Health Care Programs (MinnesotaCare, Medical Assistance, GAMC)• Food Support• School Meal Program (free/reduced-priced school breakfast & lunch)• Energy Assistance Program• Child Care Assistance Program• WIC Program • Tax Credits (EITC and WFC)
2. Relies on an online eligibility screening tool• www.bridgetobenefits.org
What is Bridge to Benefits?
3. Addresses underutilization of programs3. Energy Assistance: 70% of eligible households are not enrolled4. Health Care: 22% of eligible persons are not enrolled in MNCare or MA5. Child Care Assistance: 76% of eligible children are not enrolled6. Food Support: 41% of eligible persons are not enrolled7. School Meal Program: 28% of eligible children are not enrolled8. WIC: 20% of eligible families are not enrolled9. EITC & WFC: 18% of eligible households are not claiming
• Includes work support programs and tax credits that were created to help low-income workers meet basic needs• Target families making above 100% FPG
5. Helps overcome barriers to participation: lack of awareness, complex application process, literacy, language, transportation, stigma, etc.
Bridge to Benefits Goals• Increase awareness and participation
in public work support programs• Improve economic stability and well-
being of working families• Promote healthy child development• Help families navigate program rules
and discover the easiest way to apply• Assist service providers by forming a
“network of support,” making sure families are receiving all the help available
• Strengthen communities by bringing in more federal and state dollars
Potential Impact
• At the current participation rate, the EITC lifts 4 million people (including 2.4 million children) out of poverty nationally each year
• Millions more federal dollars would
flow into the Minnesota economy
(current annual amounts)• Energy Assistance = $145 million• EITC = $463 million• Child Care Assistance = $96 million• Food Support = $318 million• School Meal = $109 million• MinnesotaCare = $127 million
The Impact on One Family
• Consider this family of five:
• 2 working parents• 1 child in 1st grade • 1 preschooler• 1 infant
Their income is $31,000 a year(125% FPG in 2008)
$7.45 per hour or 90¢ more per hour than 2008 minimum wage
Supports Before After
School Meal Program Approximate monthly cost of school breakfast and lunch for one child is $80
Free
Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
Approximate monthly cost of unsubsidized child care in the metro area is $1,950
With CCAP, parents pay a monthly co-pay of $72
Earned Income Tax Credit & Child Tax Credit (federal)
Federal tax owed is $463 EITC and CTC refunds total $4,774
Working Family Credit State tax owed is $243 WFC refund was $1,082
Health Care:
Medical Assistance for 3 children; MinnesotaCare for parents
Private insurance: Average monthly out-of-pocket costs for insurance in Minnesota is $612 (includes premiums and co-pays for care)
Monthly premium for MinnesotaCare is $49 and
children’s coverage is free.
Food Support USDA estimate of monthly food costs is $793
Monthly food support benefit is $292
Impact On The Family’s Budget
NOTE: Values are approximated and may vary by family circumstances.
The Family Budget
• This family makes $2,583 each month
• Without any public programs/tax credits, they are more than $900 short each month trying to cover the costs of child care, health care and their food budget
• Does not include housing, clothing or transportation costs, much less savings
• After enrolling in public programs/claiming tax credits, their remaining monthly balance is $2,429
• An additional $370/month can have positive impacts on children’s cognitive, social and behavioral development
Bridge to Benefits Outreach Plan1. Create a screening tool (
www.bridgetobenefits.org) to help families determine potential eligibility for work support programs and tax credits.
2. Recruit “Screening Organizations” that work with low-income families to use the screening tool on a regular basis to help clients.
3. Recruit “Application Assistance Organizations” that assist families with applying to public programs and accept email referrals from Screening Organizations.
2009 Outreach DataJanuary 1 - December 31, 2009
• 9,029 screens
• 26,081 family members affected
• 94% of families screened were potentially eligible for at least one program
• Families that were eligible and interested in programs:• Health Care programs: 74%
• Energy Assistance Program: 67%
• Food Support: 46%
• Child Care Assistance: 32%
• School Meal Program: 26%
Online Screening Tool• A simple and quick tool designed to help families and
individuals understand if they are eligible for seven public work support programs and two income tax credits. Screens a variety of family types.
• Energy Assistance• Health Care coverage
• GAMC• Medical Assistance• MinnesotaCare
• Child Care Assistance• Food Support• School Meals• Earned Income Tax Credit• Working Family Credit
http://www.bridgetobenefits.org
So, How Does It Work?
CHILDREN’S DEFENSE FUND MINNESOTA 555 Park Street, Suite 410St. Paul, MN 55103651-227-6121 www.cdf-mn.org
www.bridgetobenefits.org
Elaine Cunningham, Outreach [email protected] / 651-855-1176
Ryan Johnson, Outreach [email protected] / 651-855-1175