Improving Access to Work Supports: Strengthening State Policies and Practices

Summary

This brief is packed with fresh ideas and real-world examples aimed at enhancing access to public work supports. It is the product of a national initiative, called The Working Poor Families Project, which supports the policy efforts of state nonprofits seeking to improve economic conditions for America’s vulnerable working families.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The Need for Change
• A Continuum of Change Efforts
• Strengthening Work Supports: Examples from the States
• Policy Recommendations
• Conclusion
• Endnotes

Key Takeaway

Millions of economically fragile families depend on work supports to make ends meet

Since the Great Recession, the number of families in need of and receiving work supports has surged. One study found that as many as 16 million American households — nearly one in every five — received at least one work support in 2008.