As our state legislators broke for summer recess, they did good by aligning Ohio with dozens of other states that have extended services to foster kids until age 21. House Bill 50 provides for housing, educational and other assistance for the more than 1,000 Ohioans a year who age out
Early childhood education helps kids thrive in school, helps parents work, and employs teachers in our still-slow economy. Yet preschool and childcare funding in Ohio seem perpetually stuck in second class. Children of low-income families here are much less likely to be enrolled in publicly funded preschool or childcare than
Early childhood education helps kids thrive in school, helps parents work, and employs teachers in our still-slow economy. Yet preschool and childcare funding in Ohio seem perpetually stuck in second class. Children of low-income families here are much less likely to be enrolled in publicly funded preschool or childcare than
In guest appearances on public television and radio this past week, our director Amy Hanauer made the case for smart policies to help struggling families succeed and boost the economy. Amy faced off with Greg Lawson of the right-wing Buckeye Institute on The State of Ohio, arguing for a higher
We agree with Gov. John Kasich that expanding Medicaid health insurance to cover working-poor adults ultimately saves money (not to mention it improves health). Evidence of the benefits continue to accumulate. A new study published today in Health Affairs ??” a leading medical journal on health-care policy ??” shows a
The footprint of the for-profit prison industry is growing ever larger, and a recent Washington Post article helps explain why. The two largest prison companies in the United States and their associates have funneled more than $10 million to political campaigns and spent almost $25 million lobbying, according to the
Tax Day rallies around the country are calling attention to wage inequality and the need to raise the minimum wage. Rallies in some 200 cities are “the biggest ever mobilization” by organizers to raise the minimum wage, the Huffington Post reports. Low-wage workers rallying in Cleveland included adjunct professors —
A news story in The Cleveland Plain Dealer today calls attention to a report we released recently about a growing number of low-income working families, which includes a disproportionate share of minority families. As low-wage jobs continue to increase, the economic gap between white and minority working-poor families has widened
