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A new report from Connecticut Voices for Children found Connecticut's film industry tax credit mostly benefits the state's high-income and wealthy households and households outside of Connecticut. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT should consider eliminating costly film tax credit

A new report found Connecticut might be better off without its film industry tax credit. The Connecticut Voices for Children report showed the film …

Should Connecticut's Child Tax Credit be enacted, 550,000 children, or 74% of children would be eligible. (Adobe Stock)

New maps show CT child tax credit’s statewide impacts

New data show the impacts of Connecticut's proposed child tax credit. Broken down by town, and state House and Senate districts, 268,000 eligible …

The Annie E. Casey Foundation finds Connecticut's 13% child poverty rate in 2021 was 4% lower than the national average. (Adobe Stock)

CT lawmakers considering state child tax credit bill

Child tax credit legislation is being considered in Connecticut. The state is one of several without such a credit, though a child tax rebate was …

The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness finds, as of Jan. 15, 801 people are outside, unsheltered in cold temperatures, despite Connecticut recently implementing the Severe Cold Weather Protocol due to extremely low temperatures. (Adobe Stock)

CT takes action to keep homeless people safe in winter

Connecticut organizations are working to protect homeless people from winter's biting chill. This time of year poses severe health challenges for …

Energy data company EnergySage finds Connecticut residents spend around $288 per month on electricity. That's around $3,456 per year, 61% higher than the national average. (Adobe Stock)

CT electric companies' rates increase in 2024

Beginning in 2024, Connecticut ratepayers can expect an increase in their electricity bills. New electricity supply rates will go into effect …

La empresa de datos energ�ticos EnergySage encuentra que los residentes de Connecticut gastan alrededor de $288 por mes en electricidad. Eso es alrededor de $3,456 por a�o, un 61% m�s que el promedio nacional. (Adobe Stock)

Tarifas de las compañías eléctricas de CT aumentan en 2024

A partir de 2024, los contribuyentes de Connecticut pueden esperar un aumento en sus facturas de electricidad. El lunes entrarán en vigor nuevas …

About 60% of adults with medical debt said they have cut back on necessities such as food or clothing, while more than half of adults from households with incomes below $40,000 reported they have used up their savings to pay for their medical debt. (Adobe Stock)

CT residents struggle with medical debt despite available financial aid

Health care advocates said too often medical patients in Connecticut who are eligible for financial aid to help cover the cost of their care are not i…

As of 2023, there are 3,800 staff vacancies in early child care programs. Staffing shortages are preventing programs from enrolling enough kids to break even. Only 32.3% of child care centers reported positive cash flow. (Adobe Stock)

CT child advocates hope to blunt impacts of new education law

Child advocates across Connecticut are imploring Gov. Ned Lamont to increase state funding for subsidized preschool and child care slots. It would …

A 2023 point-in-time census found the number of chronically homeless people in Connecticut remained at 117 between 2022 and 2023 but youth homelessness increased by 7.06%. (Adobe Stock)

CT group seeks solutions to homelessness

A Connecticut group is holding several roundtable discussions about ways to end homelessness. The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness is …

In 2023, Connecticut's General Assembly considered legislation to establish a winter eviction moratorium, making it illegal to evict anyone from December through March. However, the bill failed to come to a vote. (Adobe Stock)

CT group hosts community forum addressing housing

A Connecticut group is holding a community policy forum to discuss housing. The state is facing a severe affordable-housing shortage with soaring …

As part of a new strategic plan, the Connecticut Health Foundation is looking to address maternal health equity for women of color. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report points to maternal health disparities for women of color across the United States. (Adobe Stock)

A new plan for advancing health equity in Connecticut

A Connecticut group has developed a new plan to bolster health equity in the state. The Connecticut Health Foundation's strategic plan tackles …

A Connecticut Voices for Children report found 39% of renters in the state who were not current on rent payments felt they would be evicted in the next two months. The rate was higher for Black and Latino renters, at 54% and 56% respectively. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Needs Long-Term Solutions to Eviction Crisis

A new report outlines long-term solutions for what it calls Connecticut's eviction crisis. The Connecticut Fair Housing Coalition found there were 21…

Since continuous Medicaid renewals were terminated, more than 1.6 million people have been disenrolled from Medicaid so far, according to data from 28 states and the District of Columbia. (Adobe Stock)

CT Works on Post-Pandemic Medicaid Redeterminations

Like other states, Connecticut is in the middle of a yearlong process of re-determining people's eligibility for Medicaid. When the Covid-19 public …

Although Connecticut's rankings in most health-related areas declined in the latest Kids Count Data Book, the state saw minor improvement in the number of children with health insurance. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Children Need Health, Education Investments

Investments in education and health are needed to bolster Connecticut's children, a new annual report found. In the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids …

Across the United States, child populations have declined from 74.2 million to 73.1 million between 2010 and 2020, according to a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This contrasts with the child population between 2000 and 2010, which increased by 1.9 million. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Child Population Continues to Decline

A recent report finds Connecticut's child population declined over the last decade. According to a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation…

Child poverty ebbed and flowed after hitting 17% in 2009. Since 2017, it has been on the decline, falling to 5.2% in 2021, the lowest rate in history. (Adobe Stock)

CT Child Poverty Unchanged, Census Report Says

Connecticut's child poverty statistics have remained the same throughout 2021, according to the latest Census Bureau report. Nationally, child …

An annual report shows Connecticut ranks highly compared to other states for children's health and education, but finds a lack of investment by the state has slowed this growth and even led to some decline. (Adobe Stock)

Investment Needed for CT Children to Thrive, Report Says

More investment is needed across Connecticut to support the economic well-being and education of children, according to a new annual report. The …

The White House estimates 390,000 families in Connecticut claimed a child- and dependent-care tax credit on their 2021 returns. (Adobe Stock)

CT Child Tax-Rebate Application Open Through July 31

Connecticut parents can apply for the state Child Tax Rebate through July 31. Anti-poverty advocates say the money will serve as additional relief …

One of Connecticut's largest job sectors is government. The growth rate gap in that sector<br />has widened and is a contributing factor in the state's weak job growth. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Connecticut's Economic Growth Still Slowed by Great Recession

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Connecticut's economy has shrunk since the 2008 Great Recession, and combined with highly inequitable wage distribution, that has …

According to the 2021 Kids Count Data Book, the number of Connecticut children ages 3 and 4 not enrolled in preschool has dropped in the last decade, from 38% in 2009-2011 to 34% in 2017-2019. (Adobe Stock)

Report Suggests More CT Families Backslid Financially in Pandemic

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Connecticut ranks in the top 10 states for children's education and health, but its families rank lower in terms of economic well-…

A Feeding America study estimates 42 million Americans may experience food insecurity this year, down from 45 million people who may have experienced it in 2020. (Adobe Stock)

World Hunger Day Underscores CT Food Crisis Beyond COVID

WALLINGFORD, Conn. - Today is World Hunger Day, and as the U.S. recovers from the pandemic, food banks in places like Connecticut say there's greater …

The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness Point-In-Time count shows about 300 fewer homeless households in Jan. 2021 than Jan. 2020. The coalition says that is, in part, the result of federal aid that is still needed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Coalition: New CT State Budget Slights People Who are Homeless

HARTFORD, Conn. - A coalition of service providers for people who are experiencing homelessness in Connecticut is asking state lawmakers and Gov…

According to the Alliance Voice of Community Nonprofits, the pandemic has worsened the impacts of already inadequate funding for nonprofit groups, such as creating telehealth services, getting PPE, and providing hazard pay to essential workers. (Adobe Stock)

Frontline Housing Services Call for Adequate State Funding

HARTFORD, Conn. -- In the General Assembly, the Appropriations Committee has been getting an earful about the need for more funding for affordable …

A new survey finds almost 7,800 people younger than 25 in Connecticut were on the streets or couch surfing with friends or relatives in 2020. (Allan Vega/CCEH)

2020 Survey Estimates Nearly 2,500 Homeless Youth in CT

HARTFORD, Ct. -- Almost 2,500 people younger than age 25 were living on the streets at some point in 2020, according to new estimates from a network …

Workers rallied at the state Capitol for additional COVID relief in May. (ULA)

Anti-Poverty Advocates Welcome COVID Relief, Say More Is Needed

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Workers' rights groups are hopeful Congress will pass a $900 billion COVID relief bill but said it's just a first step. The bill …

Advocates would like to see Connecticut offer subsidies to help people pay for health insurance through the state marketplace. Similar programs are in place in Massachusetts, Vermont and California. (Gale Zucker/CT Health)

Report: Two Paths to Health Insurance for More CT Families

HARTFORD, Conn. -- As policymakers gear up to write a state budget for the next two years, a new report has suggestions on how to expand health-care …

Food pantries, rental assistance and other social supports are crucial to keep ALICE families from financial ruin during the pandemic. (Share Our Selves)

2020 ALICE Report Shows Widespread Economic Suffering in CT

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Low-wage workers in Connecticut face enormous financial stress; suffering that has only been exacerbated by the pandemic, …

In 2019, Connecticut Food Bank distributed food to help provide almost 22.5 million meals. (Tatiana Atamaniuk/Adobe Stock)

Feeding Connecticut's Hungry: A Thanksgiving for All

WALLINGFORD, Ct. — In Connecticut, one 1-in-9 adults and 1-in-6 children go to bed hungry, but through donations and the work of volunteers…

From 2012 to 2017, annual drug costs increased by 57.8%, but Connecticut income rose only 12.2%. (I Viewfinder/Adobe Stock)

Soaring Drug Prices Costing Taxpayers Billions

HARTFORD, Conn. – Too many people need to choose between paying for food and shelter or taking their medications, according to advocates for …

Nationally, 28% of African-American and 19% of Latinx children live in areas of concentrated poverty. (poco_bw/Adobe Stock)

Racial Disparities in Child Poverty Persist in Connecticut

HARTFORD, Conn. — A new report shows fewer Connecticut children are living in concentrated poverty, but wide racial disparities persist…

The minimum wage bill, signed last week, will raise pay for 330,000 Connecticut workers. (govnedlamont/instgram.com)

After Minimum Wage Boost, Workers Plan Next Steps

HARTFORD, Conn. – With Connecticut set to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, labor organizers now are setting their sights on making …

New research confirms that placing children in kinship care with grandparents or other family members improves outcomes. (Aline Dassel/Pixabay)

Connecticut Setting Trend in Foster-Care Placement

HARTFORD, Conn. – Connecticut is making great progress in placing foster children in family settings and kinship care, according to a new …

Last year, more than 111,000 people in Connecticut bought insurance through the Affordable Care Act. (Alterio Felines/pixabay)

Health-Care Advocates: Overturning ACA Would Hurt Thousands in CT

HARTFORD, Conn. – Hundreds of thousands in Connecticut could lose health-care coverage completely if the Affordable Care Act is overturned…

More than 24,000 Connecticut children still have no health-insurance coverage. (Jacob Sippel/U.S. Navy)

Report: HUSKY Health Gets High Marks, Could Do More

HARTFORD, Conn. - Connecticut is providing quality health care to more than 330,000 children but could reach more, according to a new report…

Homelessness in Connecticut has decreased by 25 percent since 2007. (sinzicraciun0/Pixabay)

CT Homeless Stats Don’t Tell the Whole Story

HARTFORD, Conn. – A federal report released this week says homelessness increased more than 17 percent in Connecticut this year, but housing …

The share of family income that Connecticut's poorest pays in property taxes is 13 times higher than what the top 1 percent of earners pays. (schuldnerhilfe/Pixabay)

Report: Low-Income Taxpayers Pay Most in Connecticut

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – When it comes to paying taxes, being poor in Connecticut is very expensive – at least, that's the finding of a new …

When parents lose health insurance, their children often become uninsured as well. (pexels)

Census Shows Uninsured Increasing in CT

HARTFORD, Conn. – An estimated 21,000 more Connecticut residents lacked health insurance in 2017 than in the year before, according to a new …

Voters 50 and older are the most powerful and reliavle voting bloc in Connecticut. (silviarita/pixabay)

Retirement Security, Family Caregivers Top Issues for Older Voters

HARTFORD, Conn. – Retirement security and support for family caregivers are top issues for one of Connecticut's largest and most reliable …

In Connecticut, only 24 percent of young parents have an associate degree or higher. (peterjamesanthony/pixabay)

Report: Connecticut Needs to Help Young Parents Succeed

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut is missing opportunities to help young parents succeed, according to a new report. The Annie E. Casey …

Medicaid covers 70 percent of nursing home residents in Connecticut. (agilemktg1/pixabay)

Medicaid Called Key to CT Health, Economy

HARTFORD, Conn. – Medicaid plays an important role in Connecticut's economy, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center …

The program delivers prescription medications directly to participants through the mail. (bluebudgie/Pixabay)

Program Helps People with HIV Get their Meds

HARTFORD, Conn. – Low-income people who are HIV positive can now get their medications delivered to their door free of charge. The Community …

Reading proficiency for Connecticut fourth-grade students has improved, but math proficiency for eighth graders declined. (Wokandapix/Pixabay)

CT Ranks High for Children’s Well-Being, but Census Change Raises Concerns

HARTFORD, Conn. – The latest figures on the well-being of children show Connecticut ranks seventh in the nation, but children's advocates fear …

As many as 1 in 10 current or recent college students face homelessness as they juggle student debt and living expenses, research shows. (nikolayhg/Pixabay)

Working to End Poverty Among College Students

HARTFORD, Conn. – Studying while hungry – many college students struggle to get enough to eat because they lack money to buy food…

Fifty-five years after the Equal Pay Act became law, women still earn only 80 cents for every dollar paid to men. (12019/Pixabay)

Equal Pay Still Years Away

HARTFORD, Conn. – Today is Equal Pay Day, marking the 99 extra days women have to work this year to equal the pay men were paid last year…

Studies show that SNAP benefits help families purchase healthier meals. (ElasticComputeFarm/Pixabay)

Report: SNAP Benefits Cut Health Costs

HARTFORD, Conn. – A new report links access to SNAP benefits to improved health and lower health care costs. The paper, published by the …

For foster children, every change in placement is a major upheaval. (MorningbirdPhoto/Pixabay)

Report: CT Can Make Foster Care Better for Kids

HARTFORD, Conn. – Young people met with state legislators in Hartford on Tuesday to push for reforms that could help children in foster care…

Extreme Cold Puts CT Homeless at Risk

HARTFORD, Conn. – Sustained temperatures well below freezing can be life-threatening to Connecticut's homeless population, but warming centers …

A permanent connection with a caring adult is important for a young person's development. (Free-Photos/Pixabay)

Report: Adolescents in Foster Care Need Opportunities to Thrive

HARTFORD, Conn. – Positive interactions with the child-welfare system can be particularly critical for adolescents, according to a recent …

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CT: Poverty Issues