Supporting Employment
Getting, and keeping, a job has long been a challenge in our highly complex and competitive job market. The current economic recession has made the challenge even more daunting for persons trying to survive and support their families with low-wage work.
Individuals have a far greater chance of entering and remaining in the work force if they receive work supports – childcare assistance, food stamps, education and training programs, skill development and job retention services, housing programs, health insurance for low-income children and adults, transportation programs, and income supplements such as tax credits and supplemental public assistance – that enable low-income parents to move successfully from welfare to work, maintain stable employment, and improve their skills so they can move out of poverty.
All too frequently, however, state and local governments deny access to work supports provided for by law. At the same time, the federal and state governments continue to fail to adequately fund or provide necessary work supports. Given the budget crises affecting many states, barriers to work supports are likely to grow in the coming years. States seeking to reduce expenses can easily do so either by cutting staff or resources in agencies that handle various work supports or by developing administrative procedures that will undoubtedly reduce participation rates.
The existence of federal and state protections that can improve the reach and fair administration of work supports and education or training assistance programs, coupled with the pressing need for those services, creates a critical role for advocacy organizations with legal expertise. Tough-minded advocates at the state and local level can use legal tools in a number of ways to ensure that states and localities are complying with applicable program requirements and other applicable state and federal laws.
The National Center for Law and Economic Justice works with colleagues across the country to ensure that individuals and families continue to have access to the necessary work supports they need to find and sustain living-wage employment. Our extensive efforts to secure health benefits and food stamps are described elsewhere on these pages. Set out below are descriptions of other work addressing work supports. We welcome inquiries from advocates and opportunities to work together on these issues. Contact NCLEJ.
Highlights of NCLEJ Advocacy:
NCLEJ Report Influences New York City Mayor's 2005 Child Care Proposals (October, 2005)
NCLEJ and Colleagues Protect Medicaid for Working Parents in Texas (April, 2005)
NCLEJ Promoted Child Care for Working Parents (2005)
Testimony Regarding the Role of Education in Helping Low-Income Families Become Economically Self-Sufficient (July 2005) (pdf)
NCLEJ and Colleagues Supported Access to Education and Training in New York City (2003)