Ending Child Poverty

Our vision is to end poverty.

For children, poverty is not simply unfortunate, it is damaging.  The toxic stress that they experience can interrupt healthy development and permanently affect brain development in children.

In 2008, Minnesota had 140,000 children living in poverty.  In the United States, 14.1 million (19 percent) or one in five were poor and worse, one in 12 lived in extreme poverty.

Yet, Minnesota families are working more hours but earning less than they were 30 years ago, with 78 percent of Minnesota children having all resident parents in the workforce.  

The Commission to End Poverty by 2020 was created by the Minnesota legislature in 2006 to develop guidelines to end poverty.  In the fall of 2009, the commission established recommendations.  Among those:

• Increase the minimum wage to a level that would lift a single individual working full-time to self-sufficiency.
• Provide a guarantee of child care to low-income families.
• Guarantee quality preschool programs to all children from low-income families.
• Ensure that all Minnesotans receive access to affordable health care coverage. 

Bridge to Benefits

Bridge to Benefits is a multi-state project to improve the well-being of families and individuals by linking them to public work support programs and tax credits.

To see if you or someone else may be eligible for public work support programs, visit www.bridgetobenefits.org.

Low-Cost Health Care Directory

Information and link needed.