Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org 2015 Diaper Banks in America Conference Diaper Need and Poverty Policy Liz Schott October 29, 2015

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Part 1 The safety net does a lot to lift people out of poverty

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Measuring Poverty and Deep Poverty Federal poverty line varies by family size Income below $1675 a month (for family of 3) Deep poverty is income below HALF of the poverty line or $837 a month (for family of 3) Extreme poverty - $2 per day per person Child poverty rate looks at share of children who live in families with income below the poverty line 2

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Safety Net Cut Poverty Rate in Half in 2012

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Safety Net Reduced “Deep Poverty” Sharply in 2012

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Major Tax Credits and Means-Tested Programs Lifted Millions out of Poverty in 2012

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Major Tax Credits & Means-Tested Programs Lifted Millions out of Deep Poverty in 2012

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Part 2 Safety net programs not only help families get by today, but also enable their children to succeed tomorrow

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Children Who Experience Poverty Are More Likely to Be Poor As Adults

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Children With Access to Food Stamps Fare Better Years Later

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Children Receiving Larger EITCs Finish More Education

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Part 3 Cash assistance safety net has weakened under TANF

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org TANF Lifts Fewer Children Out of Poverty, Compared to Other Safety Net Programs and to AFDC 12

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org TANF Cases Have Declined Dramatically, Including in Years When Poverty Has Increased

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org TANF-to-Poverty Ratio: TANF Now Serves Only 1 in 4 Poor Families 14

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org The Share of Poor Families Served by TANF Cash Aid Varies Greatly Across States The TANF-to-poverty ratio ranges across states from 4 to 78 In 12 states TANF aids fewer than 10 families for every 100 poor families In all states, the TANF-to- poverty ratio has dropped since 1996 The drop in TPR closely follows caseload decline, often due to cutbacks rather than successful exits for work 15

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org For Those Families that Do Receive Cash Aid, TANF Cash Benefits Are Very Low Benefits are below 30 percent of the poverty line in most states In some states benefits are as low as $2 or $3 a day per person Benefits have declined in value since 1996 in nearly all states But, we are seeing benefit increases in some states in recent years and this is a key area for advocacy 16

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org About 1/3 of States Do Not Increase TANF Benefits When a TANF Recipient Has a New Baby 17

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Resources and Contacts Jessica Bartholow, Western Center on Law and Poverty Liz Schott, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities CBPP State Fact Sheets: assistance-for-needy-families-programs-do-not-provide-adequate-safety- net-for-poorhttp:// assistance-for-needy-families-programs-do-not-provide-adequate-safety- net-for-poor CLASP: TANF and the First Year of Life; and-publications/tanf-and-the-first-year-of-life-making-a-difference-at-a- pivotal-momenthttp:// and-publications/tanf-and-the-first-year-of-life-making-a-difference-at-a- pivotal-moment Kids Count Data Center: 18