‘Mind the Gaps’ Project Heather Boushey & Patrick McElwee Center for Economic and Policy Research June 14, 2005

Project Overview Research will document: –How many families don’t have enough to make ends meet—even with public aid. –How part of the problem is that many do not get all the benefits that they are eligible for. –How these problems occur across states, not just within one state. –How families cope when living below family budget. Collaborative: working with state and national groups.

Project Goals Working families don’t see isolated policies they see that they can’t “make ends meet.” Show how the problems faced by working families appear and unfold in any particular state, but also are part of a national pattern. Demonstrate how collaboration between national and state- level partners is critical for understanding the problems facing working families and determining the appropriate policy solutions. Engage policy advocates in the start-up phase of the project to make the research relevant to those actively engaged in the political process.

Method: Quant. & Qual. Quantitative (CEPR) Estimate how many families receive all the benefits that they are eligible for (“take up”). Estimate how many families are below their family budget (or self-sufficiency budget, as appropriate), even once we count in their benefits. Estimate the prevalence of hardships for these families. –Micro-data –Need “eligibility rules” to program into data Qualitative (State groups) Focus groups with low- and moderate-wage working parents, and practitioners –How do they cope? Outreach to advocacy groups, policymakers, and those affected by these policies can substantially increase the usefulness of the findings. –Initial brown bags

A Look at One State: Massachusetts Examine trade-offs of family work choices. Examine implications of policy changes. MA Reality: –Most likely to received Medicaid, rather than other benefits. –TANF not really relevant for “working” families. –Less than half (42%) of those eligible for Food Stamps get them and housing subsidies barely accessible. Now working on estimates of take-up, given eligibility rules.

Source: National Center for Children in Poverty, Family Resource Simulator: Massachusetts 2003, with the value of Food Stamps provided by the author (

The View Across States Because welfare reform kicked control of these programs to the states, policy is largely state-specific But these PROBLEMS cut across states, largely due to the piecemeal nature of public work supports This points to the need for federal policy intervention

Which Brings Us to: State/National Outreach National Bring state groups to DC to talk to policymakers about conditions in their state and need for federal intervention. Cohesive national media and outreach strategy, working with all state partners. –ECHO CHAMBER State and local Initial advocate & practitioner meetings to get feedback and establish buy-in. Do “tours” around state at end to engage advocates and policymakers, especially those outside the main urban area.

Project timeline The full project will occur over two years (ending in 2006 or early 2007) and will include seven to ten state groups representing the economic diversity of the United States, as well as a range of policy conditions. The pilot phase of the project is establishing a consistent across-state methodology to implement the project in each state.

Your participation Based on your experience, what is the most effective way to convey the hardships gap? How about the failure to get benefits to those who need them? What policy options are you working on that this would help document a need for; how does this fit in with your work/agenda?

Next Steps: Comprehensive Solutions How can we best shape the presentation of our findings? How can we work together around release? Laying the groundwork for UNIVERSAL PROGRAMS. –Universal Health Care –Universal Pre-K Work at both the state and national levels. Want to engage groups in working together to do an event upon publication of findings.