Policy Trends
A Broader Definition of Public Charge Will Harm Millions of Families
Dana Hepper is Children's Institute's director of policy and advocacy. Below is her public comment on behalf of CI in response to the Trump Administration's changes to the public charge determination. Last year, the Trump Administration proposed changes to a...
The Path to the Student Success Act
This year, Oregon passed the Student Success Act: a new annual $1 billion public investment in education. Twenty percent of this budget—nearly $200 million per year—will go toward early childhood programs and services. This new funding is in addition to existing...
35,000 Families in Oregon Could Lose Food Stamps
You may have heard that the Trump administration is seeking to change how states enroll people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as food stamps. Learn more about the impact this will have on people—including...
2019 Legislative Recap
Dana Hepper from Children's Institute and James Barta from Children First for Oregon provide a legislative recap to close out the 2019 session. In this segment, they discuss the final days that resulted in passage of nearly 150 bills, including all remaining bills...
Oregon’s Legislature Makes Young Kids a Priority
Oregon’s legislature adjourned on June 30 at 5:30 p.m., just six and a half hours before the constitutionally mandated close of the 2019 session. As we previously reported, the Student Success Act passed in May included historic investments in early childhood...
What If We Expanded Child Care Subsidies?
Child care subsidies from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) are designed to help families living at or below 150 perfect of the federal poverty guidelines afford care for their children. Speaking with Dr. Ajay Chaudry in May, we learned that child care...
Our Response to Proposed Changes to How We Calculate Poverty
Dana Hepper is Children's Institute's director of policy and advocacy. Below is her public comment on behalf of CI in response to the Trump Administration's proposed changes to how we calculate the federal poverty threshold. The Children’s Institute is writing in...
We Can’t Address Poverty by Changing the Definition of ‘Poor’
You may have read last month that the Trump administration has a plan to lower the poverty rate in America. The plan doesn't do anything to help low-income families. Instead, the administration is seeking to change the way we calculate the "official poverty...
Massachusetts Takes Note of the Student Success Act
The recently passed Student Success Act includes $400 million in investments in early childhood programs and services. This is big news, and not just for Oregon. Strategies for Children, a Massachusetts organization devoted to increasing funding for children from...
Ajay Chaudry on Combating Inequality Through Early Care and Education
Ajay Chaudry was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Services Policy in the US Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to that appointment in the Obama administration, Dr. Chaudry was a Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Labor, Human Services,...
