Bridge to Benefits:Helping Families Improve Economic Stability by Enrolling in Public Programs

CHILDREN’S DEFENSE FUND

MINNESOTA

Children’s Defense Fund• Nonpartisan, nonprofit organization

• CDF does not seek nor accept any government funds• MN is one of 13 state and regional offices

• The mission of the Children’s Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind and to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

CDF Minnesota Initiatives

Research & Education:• MN KIDS COUNT Data Book

Outreach:

• Bridge to Benefits

Legislative Advocacy:• Health Care• Child Care• Minimum Wage

What is Bridge to Benefits?

1. Multi-state project by CDF-MN to improve the well-being of families and individuals by linking them to public work support programs and tax credits• Health Care Programs (MinnesotaCare, Medical Assistance, GAMC)• Food Support• School Meal Program (free/reduced-priced school breakfast & lunch)• Energy Assistance Program• Child Care Assistance Program• WIC Program • Tax Credits (EITC and WFC)

2. Relies on an online eligibility screening tool• www.bridgetobenefits.org

What is Bridge to Benefits?

3. Addresses underutilization of programs3. Energy Assistance: 70% of eligible households are not enrolled4. Health Care: 22% of eligible persons are not enrolled in MNCare or MA5. Child Care Assistance: 76% of eligible children are not enrolled6. Food Support: 41% of eligible persons are not enrolled7. School Meal Program: 28% of eligible children are not enrolled8. WIC: 20% of eligible families are not enrolled9. EITC & WFC: 18% of eligible households are not claiming

• Includes work support programs and tax credits that were created to help low-income workers meet basic needs• Target families making above 100% FPG

5. Helps overcome barriers to participation: lack of awareness, complex application process, literacy, language, transportation, stigma, etc.

Bridge to Benefits Goals• Increase awareness and participation

in public work support programs• Improve economic stability and well-

being of working families• Promote healthy child development• Help families navigate program rules

and discover the easiest way to apply• Assist service providers by forming a

“network of support,” making sure families are receiving all the help available

• Strengthen communities by bringing in more federal and state dollars

Potential Impact

• At the current participation rate, the EITC lifts 4 million people (including 2.4 million children) out of poverty nationally each year

• Millions more federal dollars would

flow into the Minnesota economy

(current annual amounts)• Energy Assistance = $145 million• EITC = $463 million• Child Care Assistance = $96 million• Food Support = $318 million• School Meal = $109 million• MinnesotaCare = $127 million

The Impact on One Family

• Consider this family of five:

• 2 working parents• 1 child in 1st grade • 1 preschooler• 1 infant

Their income is $31,000 a year(125% FPG in 2008)

$7.45 per hour or 90¢ more per hour than 2008 minimum wage

Supports Before After

School Meal Program Approximate monthly cost of school breakfast and lunch for one child is $80

Free

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)

Approximate monthly cost of unsubsidized child care in the metro area is $1,950

With CCAP, parents pay a monthly co-pay of $72

Earned Income Tax Credit & Child Tax Credit (federal)

Federal tax owed is $463 EITC and CTC refunds total $4,774

Working Family Credit State tax owed is $243 WFC refund was $1,082

Health Care:

Medical Assistance for 3 children; MinnesotaCare for parents

Private insurance: Average monthly out-of-pocket costs for insurance in Minnesota is $612 (includes premiums and co-pays for care)

Monthly premium for MinnesotaCare is $49 and

children’s coverage is free.

Food Support USDA estimate of monthly food costs is $793

Monthly food support benefit is $292

Impact On The Family’s Budget

NOTE: Values are approximated and may vary by family circumstances.

The Family Budget

• This family makes $2,583 each month

• Without any public programs/tax credits, they are more than $900 short each month trying to cover the costs of child care, health care and their food budget

• Does not include housing, clothing or transportation costs, much less savings

• After enrolling in public programs/claiming tax credits, their remaining monthly balance is $2,429

• An additional $370/month can have positive impacts on children’s cognitive, social and behavioral development

Bridge to Benefits Outreach Plan1. Create a screening tool (

www.bridgetobenefits.org) to help families determine potential eligibility for work support programs and tax credits.

2. Recruit “Screening Organizations” that work with low-income families to use the screening tool on a regular basis to help clients.

3. Recruit “Application Assistance Organizations” that assist families with applying to public programs and accept email referrals from Screening Organizations.

2009 Outreach DataJanuary 1 - December 31, 2009

• 9,029 screens

• 26,081 family members affected

• 94% of families screened were potentially eligible for at least one program

• Families that were eligible and interested in programs:• Health Care programs: 74%

• Energy Assistance Program: 67%

• Food Support: 46%

• Child Care Assistance: 32%

• School Meal Program: 26%

Online Screening Tool• A simple and quick tool designed to help families and

individuals understand if they are eligible for seven public work support programs and two income tax credits. Screens a variety of family types.

• Energy Assistance• Health Care coverage

• GAMC• Medical Assistance• MinnesotaCare

• Child Care Assistance• Food Support• School Meals• Earned Income Tax Credit• Working Family Credit

http://www.bridgetobenefits.org

So, How Does It Work?

CHILDREN’S DEFENSE FUND MINNESOTA 555 Park Street, Suite 410St. Paul, MN 55103651-227-6121 www.cdf-mn.org

www.bridgetobenefits.org

Elaine Cunningham, Outreach Directorcunningham@cdf-mn.org / 651-855-1176

Ryan Johnson, Outreach Specialistjohnson@cdf-mn.org / 651-855-1175