Examining federal, state, and institutional programs, the paper presents a framework for understanding challenges to securing comprehensive financial assistance for low-income working students. The paper identifies promising approaches for supplementing student financial aid based on a range of programs implemented in the past and planned for the future. It also raises issues that bear consideration in designing a program that would be both effective in ways that can be measured through random assignment studies and replicable.

From the National Center for Children in Poverty, this article highlights effective programs, policy opportunities, and other strategies to improve educational outcomes for children. This brief is to inform policymakers and other stakeholders on strategies to promote the healthy educational development of children.

From the Brookings Institution, this policy brief reviews the impact of a universal preschool policy on economic growth. Authors conclude that a universal policy would cost the government $59 billion; however, would have the potential to add $2 trillion to the national GDP by 2080.

This report from the Brookings Institution reviews the role of education in helping low-income children advance economically. Authored by Isabel Sawhill, she concludes that the U.S. education system tends to reinforce rather than compensate for differences in family background, and in order to strengthen opportunity for America’s children, more effective investments in education need to be made.

This first Issue Brief from the National Center for Children in Poverty's (NCCP's) Project THRIVE identifies ways for States currently planning early childhood comprehensive care systems to use Federal and State fiscal resources more effectively to promote well-being of the most vulnerable young children in the country preparing for school readiness.

From the Annie E. Casey Foundation, this Summer 2006 report highlights information from the Kids Count Data Book. Specifically, this newsletter provides an overview of the importance of family-based child care for children and a State-by-State comparison.

This paper considers four programs--Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), food stamps, child care subsidies, and the earned income tax credit (EITC)--that form the core work support system in the United States. It highlights differences in program funding, eligibility, and delivery systems. It describes trends in participation and synthesizes research knowledge about the observed differences in program participation. The paper concludes that these programs do not form an effective system. Each program operates under different rules that many low-income working families find daunting. A few recent state innovations offer potential for improving the system.

From the Urban Institute, this fact sheet reviews various work supports available to low-income families since the 1996 PRWORA. Although work supports were significantly expanded, they still fall short in providing families enough to promote asset building, leading to self-sufficiency.

Low-income families have a variety of income supports available to help encourage stable employment and increase self sufficiency, including TANF, SCHIP, Medicaid, food stamps, and childcare subsidies. This article reviews a streamlined strategy to help families access necessary income supports. By integrating service delivery through call centers and the Internet, States can implement a comprehensive approach to better serve families.

This report from the Center for the Study of Social Policy reviews State policies that support families, children and low-wage workers while also contributing to states’ economic stability.