This report traces economic and policy changes since the launch of the Great Society, and how these changes have affected the lives of children and adults at all income levels in Massachusetts.
When we don’t give children the best opportunity for healthy growth and development, we put their future – and our future as a Commonwealth – at risk. Fortunately, we know that children are most likely to thrive if they live in stable and loving homes; and that their outcomes will be even better if these homes are familiar to them. Research has shown that placing children with “kin” – other family members or close friends – is often better than putting them in a stranger’s foster home or a group home.
To protect their physical and economic security, survivors of domestic and sexual violence sometimes need to take time off from work to address health and safety issues. Many employers provide “safe time” leave for such employees and Earned Paid Sick Time laws in several cities and states give employees the right to take safe time when needed. This fact sheet examines these policies and also provides a description of state programs that assist these survivors.
Policies that affect the health of individuals also affect the health of the community. MassBudget’s new fact sheet Earned Paid Sick Time: Supporting Healthy, Thriving Communities examines the effects on the general public, families, and the workplace when sick workers can’t stay home from work.
Access to earned paid sick time improves the economic security of working people and families in communities in every region of our Commonwealth. This fact sheet provides data on the percentage of the workforce that currently lacks earned paid sick time in different cities and towns.
The economic security of working families depends on reliable access to opportunities that offer good incomes and that allow workers to share in the benefits of economic growth. Unfortunately, data made available today by the U.S. Census Bureau show that four years into an economic recovery many working families across the nation and in Massachusetts have seen only very modest gains.
Many workers are responsible for caring for a family. They face daily challenges of being both good parents and hard-working, effective employees. In recent decades, more and more children are growing up in families where all the adults work. Yet, some of our employment policies do not reflect this modern reality. This brief examines challenges faced by working families and the role that earned paid sick time can play in helping families meet those challenges. It also describes the effect of such laws on businesses and the broader economy.
To help children overcome non-academic barriers to success, a number of districts across the country have implemented wraparound services in their schools. Recent research shows that these programs can improve both the academic and life success of the students who are served. This report examines evidence on the effectiveness of these programs, describes progress being made in Massachusetts, and estimates costs for implementing evidence-based practices more widely.
Children have a greater opportunity to thrive and succeed in Massachusetts than in any other state, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2014 KIDS COUNT Data Book. Specifically, they lead the nation in educational achievement and are less likely to be without health insurance than children in any other state. Nonetheless, one in seven Massachusetts children lives in poverty.
Early education and care has wide ranging benefits for children, parents and the economy. This report examines options for investing in early education that range from covering all lower income children through our existing early education and care system to educating all three and four year olds in our public schools.