VERMONT CHILD POVERTY COUNCIL

MINUTES

August 22, 2007

APPROVED 9/13/07

Members Present:  Rep. Ann Pugh, Co-chair; Sen. Doug Racine, Co-chair; Rep. Janet Ancel, Sen. Harold Giard; Sen. Jane Kitchel; Rep. Carolyn Partridge; Donna Bister, WIC Program Director, Vermont Department of Health; Richard Cate, Commissioner, Department of Education; Steve Dale, Commissioner, Department for Children and Families; Carlen Finn, Voices for Vermont’s Children; Jeff Francis, Director, Vermont Superintendents’ Association; Karen Lafayette, Vermont Low Income Advocacy Council; Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor; Christopher Curtis, Poverty Law Project, Vermont Legal Aid

Members Absent:         None

Also Present:  Legislative staff, Administration staff, the public, and the press

Recording:       CD 2007 – 5, 6, 7, 8

Convene, Review and Approve 7/25/07 Meeting Minutes

There was a comment from Edna Fairbanks Williams, representing the Vermont Low Income Advocacy Board to change the end of her statement to read, “, there was little money left for food”.  Rep. Ann Pugh entertained the motion to approve the minutes as amended.  Rep. Carolyn Partridge made the motion.  Sen. Doug Racine seconded the motion.  There was no further discussion.  The motion passed unanimously on a voice vote.

Presentation of Draft Work Plan by Co-chairs

Documents Distributed

· Child Poverty Council Draft Work Plan

The draft work plan of August 2, 3007 was distributed by the co-chairs and explained by Senator Racine.  There was discussion about inserting some of the public hearings into the schedule, probably between the third and fourth committee meetings.  It was generally agreed that the public hearings will be scheduled concurrently with some of the committee’s regular meetings.

Organization Presentations:  Understanding Child Poverty

Documents Distributed

· Vermont Head Start Association

· Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition 2007 Legislative Wrap-Up

· Responding to Threats to Child Health:  Unhealthy Consequences of Housing and Energy Costs

· QUICK FACTS Connecting Housing and Health and Education:  A Brighter Future for America’s Children

· Rents and Incomes in Constituent Areas and State-Level Statistics

· Vermont Housing Cost Burden Data – Renters & Homeowners

· Vermont One Night Homeless Census Overview-Not Unduplicated

· 2007 Update “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” Housing and Wages in Vermont

Tim Searles, Vermont Community Action Directors’ Association, representing community action agencies, stated that these agencies are in the front line in the effort against poverty, administering fuel assistance programs, housing programs, food shelters, financial literacy training and other programs, and giving them a unique position to observe the face of poverty in Vermont.   He challenged a “myth” that work will equal self-sufficiency, noting that more Vermonters are working, and that often two full-time wage earners in a family cannot attain self-sufficiency for the family.  He noted that the percentage of income going to housing is very high, and the percentage for fuel is going way up, making fuel second only to housing as a percentage of income.  He recommended adequately funding support throughout the entire system – housing, energy, food shelves, child care – and to combine and extend the fuel assistance and weatherization programs.

There was discussion about wages and the labor market, and whether a “livable wage” was obtainable.  Senator Kitchel suggested that economist Paul Harrington, at Northeastern University would be an excellent resource for the Council on this issue.

Carlen Finn observed that another “myth” is that programs for children are funded adequately.  She noted that the largest group of poor in the state is children and that our apparent care for children is not reflected in our policies.

Paul Berhman, Director of the Champlain Valley Head Start program, urged the Council to be bold, to address the root causes of poverty, make broad systemic changes, and not just make adjustments to existing programs.

Erhard Mahnke of the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition and Gus Seelig, Director of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Board, addressed housing issues affecting the poor.  Housing is a large percentage of the basic needs budget of the JFO.  There are many correlations and intersections between housing and child poverty; education, fuel, and child care being among them.

Definitions and Benchmarks:  Specific Recommendations

Documents Distributed

· Vermont Poverty Council Defining the Issues/Measuring our Progress, August 22, 2007

· Number of Children on Medicaid:  Vermont

· VT WIC Births as a Percentage of All Births

· Percent of VT Children in Low Income Families Spending more than 30% of Income  on Housing

· “New Families at Risk”:  Vermont

· The “Achievement Gap” Associated with Poverty

· Two Working Parents with Two Children, 2006

· Federal Poverty Level Income Compared to Housing Eligibility Levels, Interesting Housing Fact, August 2007 Board Meeting, prepared by Casey Klyszeiko, VHFA Intern

Steve Dale, Commissioner of the Department for Children and Families, presented the report of the subgroup on benchmarks.  The subgroup recommended:

(1)  That “childhood” be defined as under the age of 18.  While it is recognized that persons 18 or older are affected by the effects of childhood poverty, to use the measure of under 18 will be consistent with the manner in which the data is most often collected and is logical.                   

(2) That “poverty” be defined using the federal definitions. This too is consistent with data collection procedures and its uniformity of use facilitates interstate comparisons.  However, the Council should use as a benchmark 200% of poverty, making the goal of the Council the reduction of childhood poverty, measured by 200% of the federal poverty level by 50%.  The Council will also look at statistics indicating reductions from the 100% federal poverty level benchmark, and, if statistics are available, from 300% federal poverty level as well.

It was noted that the federal benchmarks for poverty do not include as cash income many program benefits such as Medicaid, Section 8 benefits, and child care benefits.

Medicaid eligibility was considered and discussed.  Its advantages are real time data, but the number of Medicaid enrollees fluctuates rapidly in response to short-term policy changes.

Senator Racine then posed the question – are we trying to adopt a monetary definition of poverty, or measure well-being which would include such measurements as adequate housing, education, health care, or the results of other programs to alleviate the effects of poverty?  On that issue, the Council adjourned for lunch. 

Public Comment

With the exception of Edna Fairbanks Williams, who spoke briefly at the beginning of the meeting, no member of the public presented any comments.

Roundtable Discussion on Definitions and Benchmarks

After discussion upon its return from lunch, the Council agreed to adopt a monetary definition of poverty, as outlined above, but will also create a list of indicators of anti-poverty program participation and results.  Commissioner Dale and his subgroup agreed to create a list of such indicators, circulate it to other members of the Council, and compile the results for the Council’s next meeting on September 13.

DOL Commissioner Powden also volunteered to prepare and present at the next meeting data on jobs, wages, and other employment indicators reflecting poverty conditions and program assistance.

Chair and Subgroup Reports

Document distributed

· Proposal of the Public Hearings Subgroup.

Carlen Finn presented the report of the Public Hearings Subgroup.  She recommended at the outset that the public hearings be designated public forums. 

Senator Racine reiterated his desire to retain the Snelling Center for assistance in implementing and focusing the public forums.  He will discuss further details with Glenn McRea of the Snelling Center with the expectation that he will have a specific proposal to present to the Council at the next meeting.

With regard to public forums, Tim Searles stressed the need to get families in poverty to testify to their experience, and will ask the CAP agencies for their assistance in getting them to do so.

Senator Kitchel emphasized the need to obtain the participation and support of business groups and the value of having representatives of business participate in the Council’s efforts at the public forums and otherwise.

The Council adjourned at about 3:00 pm.  The next meeting is scheduled for September 13, 2007 at the State House.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/ Bill Russell, Chief Legislative Counsel