Children have been in the news a great deal lately—for terrible reasons like the administration’s policy of tearing children from their parents at the border, and for good reasons, like the historic federal investment in child care in 2018 and the exciting child care guarantee and paid family and medical leave proposals now being floated in Congress. With such a mix of threats and opportunities, it’s a high-stakes moment for the diverse generation of children and young people who represent the nation’s future.
Archives: Voices
Amid devastating disasters, advocates demand aid for states and territories
Advocates for disaster aid barnstormed senators’ offices Wednesday as a coalition pressed for funding to address what arguably has been the most costly and devastating series of natural disasters to hit both states and territories in the U.S. in modern history. Wednesday marked the first day of a National Week of Action for groups demanding aid for devastated areas. The groups kicked off their activities with a news conference on Capitol Hill.
Strolling Thunder storms the U.S. Capitol
A “storm” was brewing today on Capitol Hill for ZERO TO THREE’S third annual Strolling Thunder event. Families from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. strolled through the halls to urge their members of Congress to #ThinkBabies and prioritize early childhood policies. Parents – with babies in tow — emphasized quality, affordable child care, time for parents to bond with their babies, healthy emotional development, and strong physical health and nutrition.
CHN supporters share their payday lending stories
Tamara Fettes of Rice Lake, Wisconsin has her own payday lending story to share. Tamara is one of 1,078 CHN supporters from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. who have submitted comments in opposition to an effort by the Trump Administration to roll back an Obama-era rule that would protect consumers from predatory payday and car title lenders. The Trump Administration’s proposed rule is currently in its public comment period, which means anyone and everyone can submit comments.
Who’s hurt by payday lending?
It is well known that the payday lending industry targets the most vulnerable among us. Particularly vulnerable are African Americans, victims of domestic violence, and veterans as well as active members of the military. The Trump Administration is pushing to roll back an Obama-era rule that would protect consumers from predatory payday and car title lenders. Before they can do that, staff must take into account comments from the public. CHN and many of our allies are working to generate comments opposing this rollback.
We Need Tax Relief for Working Families, Not the 1%
Low-income American families are currently facing a host of financial challenges: wages are stagnant, child-care costs are soaring, rent in many cities is skyrocketing, and that’s only naming a few. As a result, 40 percent of Americans would be unable to cover a $400 emergency expense. On April 10th, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the Working Families Tax Relief Act, a bill that would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for adults with and without children, improve the Child Tax Credit (CTC), and establish a Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) for families with children under six years old.
Colleges Grapple with Student Food Insecurity
In the United States, nearly 13 percent of people are food insecure, living without reliable access to basic nutrition. But the problem is even more dramatic on college campuses, where a recent study found that 48% of students report food insecurity and live without regular access to food. One solution campuses across the country increasingly are employing is on-campus emergency food pantries. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), in September 2018, more than 650 colleges reported having a food pantry on campus.
The U.S. Supreme Court, the Census, and the citizenship question
This Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether the Department of Commerce may include a citizenship question as part of next year’s U.S. Census. Experts say including this question would result in as many as 6.5 million people declining to fill out and return their Census forms, particularly among immigrant and people of color communities, with children disproportionately among those left out.
New report documents the dismantling of consumer financial protection
Imagine that that the community where you live has a police department, a fire station, and emergency medical service. Yet calls to 911 go unanswered. And police officers, firefighters and ambulances never respond to actual emergencies. Now imagine that the nation’s largest consumer finance regulator and civil enforcement authority, launched in the wake of the 2008 Great Recession to protect the public from unscrupulous financial service providers, practically stopped providing any protection whatsoever. You don’t have to imagine. It actually is happening.
Trump and the courts: Why so much losing?
Baltimore Oriole slugger Chris Davis and President Trump have never met each other, at least as far as I know. But they actually have something in common. Davis, the first baseman for a team that has seen better days, recently set a Major League Baseball record when he managed to go hitless in 62 plate appearances. Trump, who talked a lot about “winning” when he was out on the campaign trail, has found himself on the losing side in federal court more than 63 times so far in his administration.
Building the American Dream: a documentary
By one measurement, Texas is home to four of the nation’s five fastest-growing cities with populations over 50,000. That creates a tremendous need for new housing, which in turn opens up a lot of construction jobs. There are about one million construction workers in Texas, almost half of whom are undocumented workers. “Building the American Dream” lays out just how vulnerable those workers are. Two of the most common problems are wage theft and job safety.
Register now: May 2 webinar on Trump Administration’s effort to repeal payday lending protections
Join the Coalition on Human Needs and Americans for Financial Reform for a webinar that will tell you all about rules that protect consumers from payday loans and other forms of predatory financing – and how the Trump Administration is trying to repeal those protections. The webinar is May 2 at 2 p.m. ET, 11 a.m. on the west coast. During the webinar, you’ll learn how to slow down the Administration’s efforts by commenting on the dangers of their proposal.