National Transitional Jobs Network
NHP is an active member of the Transitional Jobs Network, a network of organizations dedicated to moving those facing barriers into the workforce. The programs help individuals overcome employment obstacles by using time-limited, wage-paying jobs (in the past called community service jobs) and combining real work, skill development, and supportive services.
The mission of the National Transitional Jobs Network is to support and expand the size, type, and number of Transitional Jobs programs nationwide and to support the quality of the service programs, building the capacity of existing TJ programs, and promoting a national dialogue on job advancement strategies.
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Most Americans would agree that an individual should be better off working than receiving welfare. Yet this is not always the case. While welfare reforms in the mid-1990s vastly improved the prospects that work would pay more than welfare, it didn't plug all the holes in the system.
Today, when a person leaves welfare for work, he or she is initially better off financially than relying solely on welfare. However, once in the workforce, higher taxes and reduced welfare benefits can quickly cut into any pay raises. More ominously, the raise could push the worker over a benefits "cliff" where a few additional dollars earned can result in the loss of hundreds of dollars in food aid, child care assistance, or health coverage.
This problem became evident during the early days of the New Hope Project, and in response, NHP created the Making Work Work Project. In this project, NHP brings all the lessons learned from the original demonstration to work for all low-income residents of the state. In addition, New Hope is partnering with Stephen Holt of Holt and Associates to study the interaction between public benefits, taxes, and earnings for low-wage workers. [Read More]
W-2
NHP is working closely with the Wisconsin legislature and other organizations to secure bipartisan support for including transitional jobs in the Wisconsin Works (W-2) welfare program (Wisconsin's version of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program). We are also working with Milwaukee-area advocates, the Department of Workforce Development and state legislators to make improvements to the Emergency Assistance program and other aspects of W-2.
Expanding the federal Earned Income Tax Credit
NHP advocates for expanding the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to childless adults.
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New Hope Project contributes to Federal Department of Health and Human Services initiative to develop a nationwide toolkit to share information about innovative programs. [Read More]
Efforts to increase the state minimum wage
NHP supports efforts to increase and index the state minimum wage.
Health Insurance Affordability
NHP also advocates for improvements in access to and affordability of health insurance for all individuals, with a special focus on the Wisconsin Health Plan.
Child Support Pass-through
NHP also works to sustain and improve the Child Support Enforcement system at the federal, state and county level. Federal legislators, led by Senator Kohl, Cong. Moore and Ryan, have been working to restore the full pass-through of the child support paid to custodial parents who are, or have been, receiving W-2 cash assistance. Many low-income noncustodial fathers become discouraged when the state takes their child support payments to cover the costs of welfare and other state services for the mother. NHP supports efforts to allow a larger proportion of the child support payment to 'pass through' directly to the family. Wisconsin had been the only state that passed through 100% of the child support collected between 1997 and 2005 under a federal waiver, which expired December 31, 2005. We are also strongly supporting efforts to restore funding for enforcement.
Anti-Poverty Initiative
NHP will offer recommendations to the Mayor's Anti-Poverty Initiative in Milwaukee. Final recommendations may include proposals to create transitional jobs, publicize work supports, increase the minimum wage, and work with employers to create better jobs.
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Urban Partnerships Initiative was designed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to improve outcomes for low-income families by facilitating peer information exchange among TANF stakeholders in urban centers. The UPI Tookkit represents the next phase of disseminating information on effective practices to the human services community. [Read More]
