Term Check
Targeting poor and near-poor families, the Earned Income Tax Credit, EITC, is a tax benefit that increases the net income of low-wage workers.
This issue of AdvoCasey examines options for providing tax breaks to those who need them most — poor and near-poor working families. Readers will also learn about critical housing needs nationwide and specific state-based efforts to connect residents to health care and better child care options.
AdvoCasey is a seasonal Casey newsletter with themed issues that spotlight programs and policies making measurable differences in the lives of kids and families.
In 1994, Rhode Island launched RIte Care, a public health insurance program that now serves low- and moderate-income working families. The program’s successes are striking. In 1999, just 7% of Rhode Islanders lacked health insurance — the lowest uninsurance rate in the nation. Equally impressive: 90% of 2-year-olds had received their basic immunizations, and the proportion of women receiving adequate prenatal care via state-purchased insurance improved, jumping from 58% in 1994 to 70% in 1998.