Our public policy priorities support the shared goal of the State’s 23 Community Action Agencies to help our vulnerable friends and neighbors who are living with low incomes – approximately 600,000 per year in virtually every city and town – to stabilize their lives and achieve economic mobility.
That goal, derived from the language of the federal law that created community action agencies more than 50 years ago, to be the nationwide mandated anti-poverty network, is pursued in part through advocacy for a variety of budget and legislative initiatives that, taken together, will strengthen individuals, families, neighborhoods, and communities across the state…and make the economy work for everyone.
Through a broad-based education and advocacy effort, we look forward to working with allied organizations and legislators to affect change through our broad public policy goals:
Download our Top FY23 Public Policies Priorities Fact Sheet
Strengthening Critical Human Services Infrastructure
- Address inequality, promote opportunity and end poverty by supporting Community Action Agencies (line item 7002-0025)
- Learn more about how this resource is used.
Strengthening Families through Affordable and Accessible Early Education and Care
- Support Early Education Teacher Salary Line Item
- Support Head Start Line Item
- Support for programs that help connect families with early education and care (Child Care Resource and Referral Access Management in Early Education)
Bridging the Wage Gap
- Increase the resources of free tax preparation (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance – VITA) sites run by CAAs and others
- Expand the state earned income tax credit (EITC) to 50 percent of the federal EITC
Please return to this page for regular updates as the legislative and budget processed unfold at the state house.