Colorado’s powerhouse for the poor

1. Colorado’s powerhouse for the poor COLORADO CENTER onLAW & POLICY Advancing the health, economic security and wellbeing of low-income Coloradans

2. Low-wage jobs replace middle-wage jobs across the country

3. A lost decade for low-wage earners 2007 Recession

4. More and more Coloradans live in poverty • 125,000 more Coloradans lived in poverty in 2012. • 32,000 more children lived in poverty in 2012. • Colorado is a “well-educated” state. 7 out of 10 Coloradans have completed at least some college. • Poverty is much higher among the less educated.

5. Single parents face uphill battle • 4 out of every 10 single moms lives in poverty. • Families with children under five have a higher incidence of poverty than families with children ages 6-17. • 5thmost expensive state for center based child care for non-school aged children. • Only one in four potentially eligible children receive subsidized care through CCCAP.

6. Single moms pay a larger share of their income for child care • Roughly one out of every three dollars a single mother earns may go to paying for child care. • Median household income for single mothers was $28,000 while married couple households brought home $84,000. • Average cost of center based care for a four-year old in Colorado was $9,619.

7. Current state of Colorado policies to help the poor • Earned Income Tax Credit • In 2011, 345,000 Colorado tax filers claimed the Federal EITC. State credit is not available. • Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit • 93,000 Colorado filers claimed the child care and dependent tax credit. • Roughly 55,000 low-income, working parents could not claim the existing credit. • Colorado Child Care Assistance Program • CCCAP provided subsidized child care to about 32,000 children in 2012 or about 25 percent of eligible population. • In 2005, CCCAP served 28 percent of the eligible population. • Funding for CCCAP has decreased 19 percent from pre-recession levels. • Adult Basic Education • Colorado is the only state that provides zero state funding for Adult Basic Education.

8. Colorado can do more to ensure economic security for all Coloradans • Implement the state level EITC. SB13-001. • Fix child care expenses tax credit to ensure the most needy can also claim the credit. HB14-1072. • Increase funding and improve access to subsidized child care. Not yet introduced. • Fund adult basic education and skills training in Colorado. HB14-1085.

9. COLORADO CENTER on LAW & POLICY Colorado Center on Law & Policy 789 Sherman St., Suite 300 Denver, CO 80203 www.cclponline.org Thank you Claire Levy Executive Director 303-573-5669 ext. 301 clevy@cclponline.org