What level of resources does a single mother with an infant and a toddler have to provide for her children in your state? How much does she have left of her earnings from her minimum wage job after she pays for child care? Is she able to access the state and federal benefits that she’s eligible for and how much do they help her bottom line? Does she fare better in a nearby state?
The Same Family, Different Support simulation brings the Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap to life and compares the level of resources available to a sample family of three based on each state’s actual policy choices. This unique analysis clearly illustrates that there is substantial variation in available resources during the critical prenatal to age 3 period, based on state policy choices.
WHAT DID WE FIND IN 2021? State policy choices interact to create a system of support for parents and children. When we combine the Roadmap policies and strategies for each state, we see that the level of resources a family has available to meet their basic needs varies substantially, from over $42,000 per year in DC, to less than $22,000 in North Carolina. Our analyses show that state minimum wage policies and child care subsidy policies drive most of the variation.
OVERVIEW VIDEO FROM THE 2021 SUMMIT
HOW DOES YOUR STATE MEASURE UP?
Below are 2 sets of interactive graphics:
- Total Resources Based on State Policy Choices
- Overall Total Resources Based on State Policy Choices Adjusted for Cost of Living and Federal Support from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act
HOW TO USE: Click on the gray tabs in below interactive graphics and hover over the bar charts to see to see your state’s data. To download views, hover cursor anywhere over the graphic and click on the 3 dots in the top right corner.
