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Executive Summary

1. What Results Do You Want?
Creating economic opportunity for families ensures that they can earn adequate income and assets, and thereby avoid hardships including hunger, living in substandard housing, and untreated illness. These hardships are especially harmful for children, who are more likely to experience long lasting negative outcomes in the areas of health, social and emotional development, educational attainment, and employment. [i]

The economic well-being of children and their parents are inextricably linked, so successful policy strategies will promote opportunities for parents and opportunities for children at the same time. See more information on priorities and indicators in this area.
2. How Are Your Kids?
The national child poverty rate has remained relatively level, holding at approximately 16 percent from 1999 to 2002, and subsequently at approximately 17 percent. [ii] By contrast, state-level child poverty trends have varied widely. See data for your state , and guidance for understanding root causes , projections , and target setting

3. What Can Policymakers Do?

STRATEGIES

Improve Job Training

Reduce Predatory Financial Practices

Expand Tax Relief for Low-Wage Workers

Expand Work Support Benefits

FINANCING

SUCCESS STORY

For examples of successful efforts to increase economic opportunity see success stories .

4. How Can You Ensure Success?

A number of steps can be taken to improve the success of policy strategies adopted in this area. See more guidance on overseeing implementation and ensuring accountability.


[i] Child Trends, "Children In Poverty," Washington, DC: Child Trends. Online resource accessed September, 2008 at http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/4poverty.cfm :

[ii] Excerpt from Child Trends, “Children in Poverty”, Accessed August 2008 at
 http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/4poverty.cfm :