Crittenton Women’s Union works to advance broad policy changes that address the root causes of the barriers low-income women face to achieveing economic self-sufficiency. CWU works with community partners to promote policy initiatives in the areas of education, job training, child care and affordable and safe housing to help low-income women bridge gaps from poverty to self-sufficiency.
Our 2007-2008 legislative and budget priorities include supporting and expanding the following programs:
- Educational Grant Rewards scholarship program for low-income, part-time college students
- Governor Patrick’s “Readiness Project” a 10-year education reform plan calling for universal education from pre-school through community college
- Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund a sectoral job training initiative to help families move toward self-sufficiency by training workers in to fill critical job vacancies
- Adult education and training opportunities
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Work supports such as subsidized child care and housing
Click here for a full listing of our 2007-2008 Policy Recommendations (pdf).
CWU is dedicated to bringing participants’ voices to the center of our policy work and leads an educational campaign across all CWU programs that encourages participants to become involved in creating policy change that will positively impact their lives. CWU’s Advocacy staff provides advocacy training to clients and staff, empowering them to become effective advocates for themselves and their families.
The Working Poor Families Project
Launched in 2002, the Working Poor Families Project (WPFP) is a national initiative focused on state workforce development policies involving: 1) education and skills training for adults; 2) economic development; and 3) income and work supports. The WPFP supports nonprofit groups in 20 states to assess and improve the economic conditions and policies affecting working poor families in those states. Crittenton Women's Union is the Massachusetts partner for the Working Poor Families Project. As part of this initiative, CWU released the new policy brief, “Unlocking the Doors to Higher Education and Training for Massachusetts' Working Poor Families,” detailing policy recommendations to help low-income adults complete post-secondary education and training to secure employment at self-sufficiency level wages.
Massachusetts Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Standard
The Massachusetts Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Standard (MassFESS) illustrates what it really takes for a family to make ends meet in Massachusetts. FESS calculates a basic budget of costs, including housing, childcare, healthcare, food, transportation, and taxes. It shows what constitutes an adequate income and how this varies across family types and locations. The 2006 MassFESS report shows that a single mother with two children in Boston needs $58,000+ to make ends meet. The first FESS report was released in 1998 and updated in 2003.
Workforce Solutions Group
The Workforce Solutions Group is a coalition of organizations that advocates for an effective workforce development system that increases workers' skills, promotes job creation and economic growth, and advances families to self-sufficiency.
Voices Advocacy Network
The CWU Voices Advocacy Network is a group of people committed to contacting their elected officials to voice their support for policies that reduce the barriers low-income women face to achieving economic self-sufficiency.
