Tackling Poverty with Policy

Our new Creating Community-Designed Approaches for EITC Uptake in Rural North Carolina project will focus on helping families in rural North Carolina take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a federal benefit that historically has shown success in lifting families out of poverty. The federal EITC was created in 1975 to assist low- to moderate-income working families, particularly those with children, by eliminating their income tax liability. For households with three or more qualifying children, the EITC can mean a credit of up to $6,557. However, in NC, more than 20% of the state’s qualifying households never claim the credit. As a result, families and poor communities are collectively losing $450 million annually – money that would improve residents’ overall health and well-being.

Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the goal of this new project is to increase access to financial resources for rural communities, particularly those where people of color reside. The project’s team includes Sarah Verbiest and Paul Lanier with the Jordan Institute, Anita Brown-Graham (photo above) with UNC School of Government and ncIMPACT; Calvin Allen with Rural Forward NC; Alexandra Sirota and Heba Atwa with the NC Justice Budget & Tax Center; and Danny Ellis with Together Transforming Lives, Inc. This partnership is unique and very exciting for the JIF. Community teams will play a vital role in leading the research and in creating local solutions. Stay tuned to learn more as this project moves forward! Danny, Sarah & Calvin pictured below.

NewMomHealth.Com is Launched!

We're live! NewMomHealth.com is a first step in the Jordan Institute's quest to bring information and support to families. Thanks to a generous gift of $25,000 from the Meehan Family to support website promotion, i n less than 60 days, NewMomHealth.com had over 42,500 page views, with over 13,000 unique visitors from every US state and continent!

The 4th Trimester team has secured funding to produce a companion site in Spanish in 2020, as well as to design a postpartum care toolkit. Dr. Alison Stuebe (School of Medicine), Dr. Dorothy Cilenit (School of Public Health), and Dr. Sarah Verbiest (JIF) were awarded a 5-year $13 million project from the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau to launch a national Maternal Health Innovation Learning Center.

The 4th Trimester team has also formed partnerships with three major businesses and is awaiting news on several other proposals. After years of neglect, we are thrilled that the significant needs of new mothers are finally receiving the attention they deserve. There is much wonderful work in store for 2020.

A Sneak Preview of 2020

We are very excited about the work ahead in the new year. Beginning in January, we will be more formally working with Allison DeMarco to up our game in advancing equity and using data to inform policy. This partnership will include helping to convene researchers and students across campus to talk about the work they are doing to address racism and advance equity.

We will also be taking on projects to lift up the importance of having all families counted as part of the Census AND the importance of all families expressing their voice through voting. We will be exploring the launch of a Jordan Institute for Families Fellowship Program, growing our team, and working our new communications plan. We will continue to grow our corporate relationships as we seek creative ways to make sure all moms know about our new site.

The third annual Summer Institute on Implementation Science is scheduled for June 18-19, 2020. It will be a big year and we are ready! Are you? Join us!

Connecting Policy Makers and Researchers to Bridge the "Know" and "Act" Gap

Contrary to stereotypes, many researchers are eager to see their science influence positive change AND legislators want accurate information to guide their decisions. The Scholar Strategy Network NC Chapter is working to bridge this gap by creating opportunities for researchers from universities across the state to connect with policy makers at all levels of government. JIF Director Sarah Verbiest is honored to partner with Deondra Rose (Duke), Lyndsey Haynes-Maslow (NC State) and Marayna Martinez (Duke) to support and expand this network. The December event was festive and filled with people from many different fields eager to connect and engage with each other. Stay tuned for a series of programs in the coming spring.

Keeping Families Together and Staying the Course as Advocates: the Fall Social Justice Action Series

I n October, an amazing group of leaders and advocates took center stage at the School of Social Work to talk about immigration policy and its impact on families.

Moderated by Quinny Sanchez, MSW Student, and organized by Daniella Ceron, JIF Intern, the Latinx Caucus, and the Social Justice Action Collaborative, the evening offered learning and heartfelt conversations on this critical issue. Panelists included: Julie Holt, LCSW with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Ana Hernandez with Alerta Migratoria, Kathy Diaz with Sembra NC, Yuliana Lopez, UNC graduate student, and Gabriela Livas-Stein, professor at UNC Greesboro. The group shared stories from their lived experience and offered action steps for social workers and others who want to protect families. Click here to listen to the panel .

Some resources that can help deepen understanding on this topic include: the TEDx talk by Juan Enriquez: A Personal Plea for Humanity at the US Border; the new Netflix Docuseries on Living Undocumented 2019, The Child Migrant Protection Toolkit from NASW, and Pew Charitable Trusts report - If Parents Get Deported, Who Gets Their Children?. NASW’s new social justice brief,  Challenges of Refugee Resettlement: Policy and Psychosocial Factors , analyzes the process for obtaining refugee status and resettlement in the US.

In November, the Social Justice Action Coalition brought together another wonderful panel featuring Vivette Jeffries-Logan, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation and Founder, Biwa Consulting. Terri Phoenix, Director of the UNC LGBTQ Center, and Monika Johnson-Hostler, NC Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Moderated by faculty member JP Przewoznik, the speakers had a very personal and beautiful conversation about what it means to speak up, speak out, and advocate for what matters. Click here to listen to their sharing and stories.

Bringing Support to New Families' Front Doors

In November, almost 300 home visitors from across North Carolina came together to learn and improve their skills in serving new families. The Jordan Institute was a very proud co-sponsor of this event. Paul Lanier gave a workshop on using data to improve services, and Sarah Verbiest had the honor of moderating the closing session with parents. Three moms who received home visiting services shared their stories with the group, highlighting the value of these programs and the deep connections forged. They were joined at the end by their home visitors for a heart-filled, multi-kleenex moment! Families are strong and resilient AND they benefit from supportive people to help them along the way. Hats off to the planning committee who did a wonderful job.