Massachusetts Association for Community Action
Road to Opportunity: Finding the Way Forward
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MASSCAP newsletter – June 28, 2019
- The Top 1% of families take home 23% of all the income in MA
- The Top 1% of families make roughly 30 times as much as the bottom 99%
- MA is as unequal now as it was at the height of the Roaring 20's
- 10% Poverty Rate and 14% Child Poverty Rate in MA according to the Federal Poverty Line. If you include those that are "near poor" (up to twice the Federal Poverty Rate): 22% "Near Poor" and 27% Children "Near Poor" in MA
More information and access the data: Obstacles on the Road to Opportunity: Finding a Way Forward, May 2018
Learn more! Watch our webinar What We All Need to Know About Poverty in Massachusetts – featuring report author, Nancy Wagman, Kids Count Director, MassBudget.
The state support and funding for policies and programs that create opportunity is critical. We are advocating for policies that strengthen families, bridge the wage gap, create economic opportunity and strengthen the human services infrastructure - all of which reduce inequality.
We thank both the House and the Senate for their hard work in the FY20 budget process and the inclusion of so many important resources. We hope to see the following essential line items in your final conference report – see newsletter for the items included under:
- Bridging the Wage Gap
- Strengthening Families through Affordable & Accessible Early Education and Care
- Creating a Foundation for Economic Opportunity
Learn more about our full list of FY20 Public Policy Priorities
Thanks to the help of Early Head Start (EHS) program at Lynn Economic Opportunity Inc. (LEO), Ruth received not only the support of her teachers, but also of a Family Service Worker and a Health Advocate. With this team in conjunction with her mother, Maria, she was able to get to a new doctor and figure out that she was gluten and oat intolerant. With diet change at home and at school, now Ruth is happy and feeling good. Her attendance has improved and she is thriving. Her mother, Maria, has gotten more involved and now works in the program.
We urge you to support the FY20 priorities so that together we can move forward on the road to opportunity. Visit our Public Policy Priorities page for more information.
Check out our Comprehensive Job Readiness Curriculum Guide. Now an Open Source Document!
