Strategies

Provide financial assistance to working parents, or parents attending school, to pay for child care

Expand refundable earned income tax credits for working individuals and families with low to moderate incomes

Convene small groups of families for facilitated weekly meetings that include a family meal, structured activities, parent support time, and parent-child play therapy

Adopt policies that allow custodial parents who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to collect all child support paid by the non-custodial parent; no portion is retained by the state

Provide outreach and support to assist those whose employers do not offer affordable coverage, who are self-employed, or who are unemployed

Organize workers to bargain collectively for improved wages, benefits, and working conditions

Regulate mental health insurance to increase access to mental health services, including treatment for substance use disorders

Increase the lowest hourly, daily, or monthly compensation that employers may legally pay to workers

Provide employees with paid time off for circumstances such as a recent birth or adoption, a parent or spouse with a serious medical condition, or a sick child

Partner with doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals to incorporate literacy support into regular well-child visits, especially in lower income communities