Economic Security

August 10, 2021 by Seth DiStefano
How Should West Virginia Spend American Rescue Plan Funds?

WOWK13 - West Virginia has received half of the $1.35 billion that was allocated to the mountain state from the American Rescue Plan back in March. Watch the full segment. Now there are some who say the distribution of the money to those who need it is not happening fast enough. As the nationwide eviction…

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August 9, 2021 by Kelly Allen
The Importance of Paid Family and Medical Leave in West Virginia

WOWK13 - On Inside West Virginia Politics, Kelly Allen, the Executive Direct of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, talks about the importance of Paid Family and Medical Leave being considered in Congress. Watch the full segment. According to Allen, 1 in 5 people have paid medical leave with a higher-paying job. With…

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July 22, 2021 by WVCBP
Child Tax Credit Helping WV Families Pay for Transportation, Food

Public News Service - An estimated 346,000 West Virginia children, 93% of all kids in the state, live in households that likely received their first Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments last week. Read the full article. Stormy Johnson, with the Preston County Board of Education and a mother of three children, said the extra cash provided by…

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July 19, 2021 by Kelly Allen
Local Advocates Hold Picnic to Push for More Paid Family Leave

WTRF - The push for paid leave was in full force Monday evening over at the Schwertfeger Shelter at Wheeling Park. Read the full article. A statewide campaign called “Paid Leave Works for WV” was the topic and supporters held a picnic to try to garner support at the federal level for paid family and…

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July 16, 2021 by Kelly Allen
Kelly Allen: Infrastructure Alone Will Not Move WV Forward (Opinion)

Charleston Gazette-Mail, Daily Advent - Since the coronavirus pandemic began, we at the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy have been soliciting stories from people all across the state to hear how various issues — unemployment insurance changes, challenges accessing child care, food insecurity, lack of paid leave and more — have affected their…

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July 15, 2021 by WVCBP
Parents Begin Receiving Federal Covid Tax Credit Payments This Week

West Virginia Public Broadcasting - About 39 million families across the U.S. -- including 346,000 children in West Virginia -- are receiving monthly child payments this week from the U.S. Department of Treasury as a part of the federal COVID-19 relief plan. Read the full article. Families will get about $3,000 per child each month.…

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July 15, 2021 by Kelly Allen
Child Credit Funds Began Arriving in Bank Accounts

West Virginia MetroNews - Parents across West Virginia began noticing new money from the federal government in their bank accounts Thursday, part of the new expanded child tax credit program. Read the full article. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed by Congress earlier this year provides monthly payments to adults with children. Basically instead…

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July 12, 2021 by Seth DiStefano
How the American Families Plan can Improve 90% of West Virginian Kids’ Lives

WOWK13 - On Inside West Virginia Politics, Congress is returning to Washington on Monday, July 12, and Seth DiStefano, the Policy Outreach Director at the West Virginia Center of Budget and Policy, discusses why Congress should prioritize the American Families Plan. Watch the full segment. In July, families with children will begin to see checks as part…

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July 9, 2021 by Seth DiStefano
Here are 6 Things State Lawmakers Could do to Help Hungry West Virginians

Mountain State Spotlight, Beckley Register-Herald, Times West Virginian, West Virginia Public Broadcasting - Hunger in West Virginia — a complex problem tied to shuttered grocery stores, infrastructure issues and generational poverty — has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem is one that advocates say requires state-level policy and funding to supplement the nonprofits and…

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