FPWA : Policy, Advocacy & Research

Policy, Advocacy & Research

FPWA's Statement on Government Budget Cuts to Essential Human Services:

THE VOICE FOR STRUGGLING FAMILIES

The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) is deeply disturbed about the impact of continuing budget cuts to vital services for New York’s struggling families, including youth programs, services to seniors and individuals with HIV/AIDS. We understand that the multiple rounds of budget cuts were part of the New York State and City’s efforts to responsibly address a worsening economy and growing budget deficits. Unfortunately, government cuts disproportionately impacts children and families who are increasingly vulnerable during tight fiscal times.

Though we understand the challenges faced by the state in these difficult economic times, these are also the times when people are without jobs, run out of unemployment, are at the verge of losing their homes, and have to turn to essential services to feed their families, clothe their children, pay for heat and medicine and other life needs. It is for these reasons that FPWA adamantly opposes any further reductions in funding for essential human services, which would have the most devastating impact on those already in greatest need.

Media Statement: The Realistic Situation with the State of the City pdf (40625 bytes)
Click here to read the full Budget Statement pdf (76364 bytes)

2010 U.S. Census Data for New York City:

From 2009 to 2010, 75,000 New York City residents were pushed into poverty, increasing the number of poor individuals to more than 1.6 million and raising the percentage of New Yorkers living below the official federal poverty line to 20.1 percent
The child poverty rate in the city increased to 30% with over 1 in 5 children in poor in 2010
Almost 1 in 3 Black and Hispanic children are living in poverty
The 2010 federal poverty threshold for a family of three was $18,310

For more visit the Census Bureau online

IN THE NEWS:

NBC New York, FIRST ON 4: Mayor Bloomberg to Announce
the Elimination of 17,000 Child Care Slots, Feb. 15, 2011
The New York Times, Fears About How the City's Budget Will
Affect Child Care, Feb. 16, 2011
New York Nonprofit Press, Mayor’s Preliminary Budget Passes
through $370 Million in State & Federal Cuts, Feb.17, 2011

Shoring up the Social Safety Net for Today's hard Times

FPWA’s report The State of NY's Social Safety Net for Today's Hard Times revealed a weakened social safety net and barriers to access to services for the unemployed and impoverished. Click here to read the report.

As a result of our findings, FPWA has launched a campaign to ensure access to public assistance programs, reform the welfare sanctioning system and expand access to education and training for low-income people. Click here to learn more about this campaign

HIV and Workforce Issues

FPWA convened a forum on the employment and vocational needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS, followed by a panel discussion.

Click here for Forum Program doc (166402 bytes).

Post forum, FPWA is providing leadership, coordination and facilitation to the HIV and Workforce workgroup which was formed as a result of the forum. An event is planned for Fall 2011 which will consist of a series of conference calls featuring one of the employment/vocational/training programs or service models identified by the workgroup. The purpose of these events is to encourage the development of new, innovative programs, and to provide support to strengthen existing programs.

Advocating for Disconnected Youth and Youth Aging out of Foster Care

There is a crisis in New York City as close to 200,000 youth, predominantly youth of color, are neither in school nor in the workforce and thus are “disconnected.” FPWA is a leading voice in advocating for programs and policies to support disconnected youth, with a particular focus on youth aging out of foster care. We have developed a variety of publications and instituted an array of campaigns to address this critical issue. Please click on the links below to learn more about FPWA’s essential work on disconnected youth and youth aging out of foster care.

Disconnected Youth Forums

New Directions for Disconnected Youth, 2008
Forum Briefing Paper pdf (629175 bytes)

Disconnected Youth Advocacy Issues

Youth Education and Employment Campaign pdf (71176 bytes) : Foster Care Higher Education Scholarship bill and Youth EITC bill

Automatic Medicaid Enrollment pdf (45193 bytes) for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

FPWA's Recent Advocacy Successes

Restored funding for senior centers which prevented the closure of 110 New York City centers.
Successfully advocated for New York State to implement the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) that enables foster children to achieve permanent placements with related foster parents by providing financial and other supports to the relative guardian.
Pushed New York City to restore a significant amount of funding for early childhood education programs.
Click here for FPWA 2011-12 State Budget Agenda Outcomes Report pdf (116550 bytes)
Click here for FPWA 2011-2012 City Budget Agenda pdf (98784 bytes)

Bich Ha Pham, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Research

How Does Your Agency Get involved in Policy Work?

POLICY ADVOCACY

FPWA's substantial team of expert policy analysts work closely with our member agencies and in numerous strategic collaborations to influence budget and legislative outcomes that positively impact human services organizations and the children, families and individuals they serve.

Click here to read more:
FPWA Policy, Advocacy & Research pdf (46889 bytes)