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UNITED WAY OF CONNECTICUT | |
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This month, more than 100 community advocates joined us at the State Capitol to stand with and for ALICE families.
ALICE are the 40% of households statewide who are living paycheck to paycheck or falling behind, despite working hard at the jobs available to them.
This newsletter unpacks the struggles ALICE families face and discusses solutions to ensure that all Connecticut residents have the opportunity to thrive.
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YOU can support ALICE families too. Contact your legislators and ask them to support our families and economy with a refundable CT Child Tax Credit. |
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MARIELLE SMITH
Mom, Tariffville Resident
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My name is Marielle Smith. I am a mom of two children, and I live in Tarrifville.
My husband and I both work full-time. And we have ambitious goals for our family. I am in the process of completing my associate degree in paralegal studies. We wish we could start our own small business -- a trucking company. We also desire to be homeowners and have taken classes to learn how to budget and improve our credit scores. The rising cost of food, housing and childcare still makes these aspirations seem almost out of reach.
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I hope that people understand that we are good, hardworking people trying to do right by our families. We are working full-time, if not multiple jobs, and still are not able to get ahead. ALICE households have parents that are hardworking and working hard to afford a good life for their families. | |
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I can recall our peace of mind when the federal government expanded the Child Tax Credit in 2021. Sometimes, it was the solace knowing that if my kid got sick and we had to go to the doctor, I would not have to be late on rent or go to the food pantry or work extra hours to pay the medical bill. We were able to take our kids to a trampoline park, skating rink and museum. These are activities that every family deserves to enjoy together.
Since that expansion expired, we often find ourselves coming up short at the end of the month. We hold our breaths for an unexpected emergency, praying that nothing knocks us off the balance of our financial tightrope. Financial insecurity is an added, everyday stress on top of raising my kids.
I think the current spike in ALICE households is troubling and that when people are working full time, they should be able to afford basic necessities and be able to save some aside to get ahead.
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Families are just struggling to get by. Their wages aren’t keeping pace with the increase in costs. | |
The election is right around the corner, and it’s time to tackle some unfinished business! Together, let's unlock innovative solutions to address the financial struggles of our hardworking neighbors: | |
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Be sure to vote on Tuesday, November 5th! Have questions or need information? Visit portal.ct.gov/sots
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CT Child Tax Credit Petition | |
Sign the CT Child Tax Credit Petition! The CT Child Tax Credit is a policy solution that will give CT residents the freedom to invest in their children's future, without constantly worrying about how they will be able to pay for basic necessities. Let's give parents the flexibility to buy what their children need most!
Sign our petition today to tell your elected leaders that YOU support the CT Child Tax Credit: CTUnitedWay.org/Petition
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Did you know that there’s still time to get your COVID relief money and child credits? Visit ctunitedway.org/getyourrefund and we’ll help you get your money! | |
Unemployment Insurance Feedback Campaign | |
How was your experience seeking and accessing Unemployment Insurance benefits? United Way of Connecticut wants to know and understand all the obstacles you may have encountered. With your input, we can help to improve the process. Share your feedback NOW by completing our survey today at https://www.ctunitedway.org/uifeedback
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STEPHANIE HOOPES
National Director, United For ALICE®
Chief Research and Impact Officer,
United Way of Northern New Jersey
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United For ALICE is a national research organization that first named the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population and developed the ALICE measures of financial hardship. We are a driver of innovative research and action around financial hardship — strengthening neighborhoods, communities, businesses and state and local economies.
The origins of ALICE lie firmly in the category of “necessity is the mother of invention.” In 2008, I was on the grants committee of United Way of Northern New Jersey, my local United Way. The official poverty rate was telling us that only 5% of households in our area were facing financial hardship, but our grant requests were telling us that many more families were struggling. There was a clear need for ALICE – a name and data for those families who weren’t being counted. Over the next year, we built the acronym and the methodology, and we produced the first ALICE Report in August 2009.
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ALICE needs recognition. When working full time still doesn’t earn enough to support your family, the problem is with the economy, not the worker. So many of the workers who keep our economy running smoothly are also cobbling together multiple jobs and side hustles, and their families have to make tough choices on where to cut back. | |
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My background is as a professor. I have a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics and have taught in the U.K., as well as at Columbia and Rutgers Universities.
Over the course of the last 15 years, I shifted from teaching at Rutgers to running United For ALICE full time. We are now a national project with a robust website and regular reports created by a strong research team and expert Research Advisory Committees in our 35 partner states.
As the national director of United For ALICE, I oversee the core building blocks of our work, which are the ALICE measures and the direction of our reports and website. I also work to build partnerships with other groups in this space, and I am the chief impact and research officer at United Way of Northern New Jersey, which powers United For ALICE. In this capacity I oversee two programs: United For ALICE@Work, an education program for business leaders to learn how to invest in and support their ALICE workforce; and United In Care, a four-year, $12 million pilot program strengthening child care in New Jersey.
While I miss traditional college students, there is still a teaching aspect to my current work. I have found there are many community stakeholders who are eager to learn, and it's been incredibly rewarding to teach them about the ALICE research and see them use it to guide programs and policy and make a difference for so many ALICE families.
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Connecticut was the second state to join the ALICE movement in 2014. When compared to other states in the nation, Connecticut is in the middle of the pack, with 40% of households below the ALICE Threshold -- the 20th lowest rate among U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Among its neighbors, the rate of financial hardship in Connecticut is higher than Rhode Island (39%), the same as Pennsylvania (40%), and lower than Massachusetts (42%) and New York (46%).
I live in Wilmington, Delaware, and when I’m not working, I enjoy hiking trails across the Brandywine Valley and gardening (dahlias are my favorites). I have some great friends and family (including five almost-grown children) who are keeping me sane through the election season.
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There was a 13% spike in the number of ALICE families (2019-2022)
- There are now 564,000 ALICE households -- the most since we started this data-backed research initiative 10 years ago
- Expanded pandemic benefits have now expired
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50% of most common jobs in CT pay under $20/hour (2022)
- A single parent with one child needs to earn $35/hour working full-time to afford the basics
- Two parents with two children need to earn $57/hour working full-time
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Our state budget is stronger than ever
- $4 billion in the budget reserve fund – the fund is maxed out
- Six years of consecutive revenue surpluses
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CT Child Tax Credit is a proven solution
- The top policy priority for Connecticut United Ways
- A fully refundable CT Child Tax Credit will reach 75% of families and 550,000 children in every community
- For every $1 in child tax credit a family receives, they generate $1.38 in economic activity -- this 38% return on investment is a significant boost to our economy
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