February 1, 1998

Southern Regional Initiative to Improve Access to Benefits for Low-Income Families With Children

With the passage of welfare reform, the consolidation of child care programs, the attainment of more state options under Medicaid and the enactment of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, states are now in the position to make significant changes in fundamental health and social policies related to children. As states move forward to design and implement public policies that support low-income working families, it is critical that the perspective of families be included in their deliberations.

In February 1997 the Southern Institute on Children and Families received support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to launch a regional outreach initiative to help southern states identify ways to improve access to benefits for low-income working families with children. This project builds on Southern Institute initiatives undertaken in cooperation with health and human services officials in North Carolina and Georgia to develop effective information and outreach materials that convey positive messages about public benefits for low-income working families. This report details the outcomes of the Southern Regional Initiative to Improve Access to Benefits for Low-Income Families with Children.

Source: Southern Institute on Children and Families

Citation: Shuptrine, Sarah C., Vicki C. Grant, and Genny G. McKenzie. Southern Regional Initiative to Improve Access to Benefits for Low-Income Families With Children. Columbia, SC: Covering Kids National Program Office, Southern Institute on Children and Families, February 1998.