Budget Priorities
Crittenton Women's Union has adopted the following budget priorities for the Fiscal Year 2014 Massachusetts State Budget.
education and training
- Restore $2 million to the Employment Services Program (ESP) (DTA 4401-1000) to fund the Pathways to Family Economic Self-Sufficiency pilot program to assist low-income families in gaining post-secondary education and training, leading to jobs that pay family-sustaining wages. Fund the Young Parents Program at $3.8 million within ESP to help young parents get the education and support they need to progress towards economic independence. View the fact sheet.
- Fund the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (DWD 7002-1074) at $5 million to build a strategic, sector orientated workforce system that reflects best practices in workforce development.
- Fund Adult Basic Education (ABE)/English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (DESE 7035-0002) at $35.2 million to serve low-income adults through ABE/ESOL so that they may continue to develop the skills and knowledge they need to secure jobs that pay wages that allow them to be self-sufficient.
Affordable housing
- Invest in the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) (DHCD 7004-9024) at $60 million tomaintain the close to 6,000 existing homes leased through MRVP and create approximately 1,400 new vouchers. Pilot economic mobility services for new voucher holders. View the fact sheet.
- Fund the Emergency Assistance Family Shelter Program (DHCD 7004-0101) at an adequate funding level to provide shelter, rehouse, and stabilize families, and include language changes to ensure 12-month contracts for shelter providers. View the fact sheet.
High-quality subsidized child care
- Provide level funding for low-income child care vouchers (EEC 3000-4060). Safe and reliable child care can consume one-third of a families' annual budget. Yet, according to Greater Boston Legal Services the waitlist for subsidized child care is currently at a high of 40,000 children. This funding will help provide working poor families and homeless families access to high-quality, reliable child care.
- Preserve funding for the Healthy Families program (EEC 3000-7000) at $10.5million tocontinue toprovide first-time teen parents with education and support to learn positive parenting skills and remove barriers to self-sufficiency..
