Connecticut parents can apply for the state child tax refund until July 31. Anti-poverty advocates say the money will serve as additional relief for families struggling with the pandemic and inflation.
State residents with children 18 or younger can apply for the tax refund, which was created as part of the fiscal year 2023 budget. Families within a certain income threshold can receive up to $250 per child for three children, a maximum of $750.
Deb Polun, executive director of the Connecticut Association for Community Action, said everything is more expensive right now and stressed the importance of putting money back in the pockets of low-income people.
“Even though we raised the minimum wage here in Connecticut, it’s still not enough to help people meet their daily needs,” Polun observed. “It will really help people to clothe themselves, feed themselves and house their families.”
Checks will be sent directly to people’s homes, probably around the end of August until mid-September. Residents can apply online and will need to share their current address, social security number and adjusted gross income, as shown on their 2021 tax form.
The Child Tax Refund, a one-time program for 2022, builds on the success of the Federal Child Advance Tax Credit, which provided monthly payments of up to $300 per child to families last year.
Elizabeth Fraser, policy director for the Connecticut Association for Human Services, said she hopes to see Connecticut make the tax refund permanent.
“Raising kids in Connecticut is expensive,” Fraser argued. “It’s very encouraging that the legislature and our governor realize this and are really working to alleviate, in some way, the cost of raising a family in Connecticut.”
Research estimates that the Advanced Child Tax Credit reduced poverty by almost 30%.
Connecticut residents who need help applying for reimbursement can find a list of organizations offering statewide assistance on the 211 website.
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Child Protective Services in Oregon will no longer use an algorithm that helped social workers decide which families to investigate.
The Oregon Department of Social Services made the announcement after The Associated Press investigated a discriminatory algorithm used in Pennsylvania that inspired the state to use a similar tool.
By shutting down the technology, Oregon officials cited their desire to reduce disparities when determining which families should be investigated for abuse or neglect.
Lia Holland, Portland-based campaigns and communications director for digital rights group Fight for the Future, said governments need to understand the effects of their actions.
“The way they work and apply to communities of color across this country has been incredibly damaging,” Holland said. “And really showed that these algorithms need a lot more scrutiny before they’re used in these life-changing decisions that our government and our institutions make.”
Holland pointed out that algorithms are often trained on race-biased data, which makes their results discriminate against people of color. She noted that the technology has been used in schools and for predictive policing models.
The Department of Social Services said it would stop using the algorithm at the end of June.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has been among the technology’s most vocal critics and is the sponsor of a bill to bring more transparency and oversight to the sector.
Holland added that federal data privacy protections would provide more security over the use of collected data in our daily lives.
“Congress could and should take drastic measures to curb this kind of abuse,” Holland explained. “And the data that these algorithms use to discriminate against us in the first place.”
Holland thinks the country should take a step back and assess how we use and trust algorithmic technology, especially given the consequences.
“Children of color are not guinea pigs for these big tech companies to test their new software,” Holland pointed out.
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Lawyers have launched a new campaign to get Pennsylvania lawmakers to pass legislation that protects children from lead paint poisoning.
The percentage of children in Pennsylvania with high lead levels is among the worst in the country, twice the national average. Some of this is tied to the state’s former housing stock, with 70% of homes built before 1978, when consumer use of lead-based paint was banned.
Colleen McCauley, co-chair of the Pennsylvania Lead-Free Promise Project, said the campaign’s top priority is to secure funds that will help remove deteriorated lead paint from homes.
“The tragedy of lead paint poisoning is that it robs children of their intellect,” McCauley said. “It can cause irreversible brain damage in children. We have a solution. It’s preventable. We’re doing it because we’re talking about babies.”
In the short term, McCauley said the campaign is asking for $40 million in US bailout funds. Last month, state lawmakers secured $10 million to go toward lead remediation.
She said the campaign is meeting with 40 key lawmakers to talk to them about lead poisoning and seek their support to push the legislation forward. Lead remediation enjoys strong bipartisan support with no obvious or organized opposition.
An estimated 7,000 children test positive for lead each year — though this is likely a significant undercount, as the state only tests 20% of this population.
That’s why State Senator Lisa Baker – R-Luzerne – introduced a bill that would ensure that all pregnant women and children in the state receive blood tests for lead poisoning.
“Part of our bill,” Baker said, “would require the Department of Health to conduct a public health information campaign to inform young parents and doctors of testing requirements.”
The public health campaign would also target landlords and owners. The bill was passed unanimously by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee last year.
Baker said she expects the Senate Appropriations Committee to consider the bill when it resumes session this month.
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During the COVID health emergency, Congress cut many red tape in US Department of Agriculture (USDA) school lunch programs, and a new report has suggested the program’s success is set to continue over the course of the next school year.
Crystal FitzSimons, director of curricular and after-school programs at the Food Research and Action Center, said the waivers increased the number of fruits and vegetables consumed by children, eliminated school lunch debt, made it easier for parents and guardians and reduced administrative costs. fees for schools.
“Omaha Public Schools reported that being able to provide meals to all students for free reduced child hunger, supported academic achievement, eliminated the stigma associated with school meals, and improved student behavior,” said pointed out FitzSimons.
Nearly six of the nation’s 10 large school districts surveyed said waivers helped improve racial equity, and 95% said they reduced child hunger. Waivers are due to expire on June 30. Critics of free meals for all students have warned the scheme could lead to government dependency.
FitzSimons countered that just like adults, kids need fuel to focus, focus and learn. She pointed to years of research showing that children who have access to healthy meals do better in school, making it easier for them to land adult jobs that pay enough to not need government assistance. .
“We have public schools that provide textbooks and transportation to get kids to school,” FitzSimons pointed out. “Ensuring children who are in school seven hours a day have the nutrition they need is critical to ensuring their success as adults.”
Omaha Public Schools reported significant operational challenges during the 2021-2022 school year. FitzSimons noted that supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and rising food prices are unlikely to be fully resolved by the time schools reopen in August. She added that expanding USDA waivers will also help kids catch up and get back on track.
“And making sure they can access a free school meal next year is going to be really key in helping to overcome the impact of the pandemic that we’ve seen on children, on families and also on schools,” said FitzSimons. .
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