Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Young and Old Georgians Still Vulnerable in 2016 Spending Plan February 3, 2015 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson The good news is the governor’s proposed 2016 budget contains new state money to hire more child protective services workers, more money to manage the growth in the number of children placed in foster homes and even a modest amount aimed to help protect older Georgians. The not so good news, according to GBPI’s analysis […] Read more »
Author Budget and Taxes Cash and Safety Net Library Melissa Johnson Policy Areas Reports Overview of Georgia’s 2016 Fiscal Year Human Services Budget February 3, 2015 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson More for Child Welfare, but Other Services Still in Need The governor’s $547 million human services budget proposed for the 2016 fiscal year makes strategic additions to help protect Georgia’s children and adults, but falls short of meeting the many different needs of its growing population. The spending plan promises to take a solid step […] Read more » State Budget
Blog Melissa Johnson Remembering Broad Vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. January 15, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson | 1 Comment on Remembering Broad Vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Watching the critically-acclaimed film, “Selma,” last weekend provided a stark reminder of how much progress this country has made toward fulfilling the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. It was also a reminder of how far we have yet to go, especially in the state of King’s birth. An […] Read more » economic mobility economic opportunity Economic Security Melissa Johnson Safety Net
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Georgia Set to Squander $7.8 Million on Food Stamps ID September 11, 2014 / January 17, 2020 by Melissa Johnson | 1 Comment on Georgia Set to Squander $7.8 Million on Food Stamps ID Georgia’s Department of Human Services is asking the state to include $7.8 million in its 2016 budget to put photos on electronic cards used by food stamp recipients. This is an expensive solution to a virtually non-existent problem. Spending millions to create photo ID cards will not prevent large-scale fraud through food stamps, formally known […] Read more »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Georgia Gets an “F” for Failing Working Parents July 17, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Georgia is failing its working moms and dads, according to a new report by the National Partnership for Women & Families. In its most recent edition of “Expecting Better,” the group assigned Georgia an ”F” after comparing policies in each state meant to protect and support working parents. Georgia leaders tout the state’s recent high […] Read more »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson New Report: At the Bottom of a Broken Ladder June 19, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Georgia could give its low income working families the chance to live better lives and contribute more to the state’s economy by increasing the HOPE Grant award to cover full tuition and fees, expanding access to subsidized child care and expanding access to Medicaid insurance. These are the recommendations included in the Georgia Budget and […] Read more »
Author Cash and Safety Net Library Melissa Johnson Policy Areas Reports At the Bottom of a Broken Ladder June 19, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson A Profile of Georgia’s Low-Income Working Families Nearly four in ten of Georgia’s working families with children are “low-income.”1 A low-income family of three with one child earns less than $36,960 per year. This could be the family of a cook at your favorite restaurant and a paraprofessional at your local school, working full-time in […] Read more »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Summer Nutrition Programs Need More Partners June 5, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Georgia summer nutrition programs served less than one in seven needy children in 2013, according to a new report released this week by the Food Research and Action Center. For the second year in a row, Georgia was one of five states to miss out on the most federal money and, as a result, fail […] Read more »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Up to 700 Georgia Schools Offered New Option to Combat Child Hunger May 8, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson | 1 Comment on Up to 700 Georgia Schools Offered New Option to Combat Child Hunger About one-third of Georgia schools can now participate in the second year of a new federal program designed to help ensure children have food in their stomachs so they can concentrate on their studies. Known as community eligibility it promises to increase the number of children eating school meals and reduce paperwork starting next fall, […] Read more »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Time Running Short to Sponsor Summer Food Program for Children May 2, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Next week in College Park, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning will conduct its last training sessions for new Summer Food Service Program sponsors. These sponsors prepare and deliver meals to low-income children during the summer when schools are closed and students lose access to free- or reduced-price lunches. The state needs new […] Read more »
