Family Economic Security

Family Economic Security - A drawing of a family in front of a house.
It costs between two and three times the federal poverty level to meet basic needs in the Ocean State.

All Rhode Islanders deserve a safe place to live with food on the table and access to affordable health care. But these basic needs are increasingly out of reach for too many of our neighbors.

It costs two to three times the official federal poverty level to meet basic needs in the Ocean State. Many working men and women are paid too little to meet the high cost of living and must rely on work supports, like tax credits and child care subsidies, to be economically secure. Seniors and people with disabilities are often unable to support themselves through work and require a strong network of community support and other public help to ensure a good quality of life.

 

Learn more about family economic security:

  • Guide to Assistance Programs: Review the services and programs that can help low- and modest-income Rhode Islanders meet their basic needs.
  • Policy Agenda: Read about our policy goals that would improve the economic security of Rhode Islanders.
  • Cost of Living Calculator: See what it costs to live and raise a family in the Ocean State.
  • Rhode Island Standard of Need: Our report about the cost of living in Rhode Island and how tax credits and work supports help households make ends meet.
  • Fact and Stats: Find facts about poverty, income, health insurance and more.

We engage in research, public education, and advocacy to improve the economic security of Rhode Islanders. 

Research: We track, analyze and report data to gain a better understanding of the economic conditions facing Rhode Islanders.  

Trainings on public benefits:  Our team trains social service providers and community partners about eligibility for public benefit programs. 

Legislative and regulatory advocacy:  We speak before policymakers at both the legislative and administrative level to present testimony about legislative, budgetary, and regulatory proposals.

Streamlining Access, Strengthening Families Project:  A project with the Department of Human Services to simplify the eligibility and renewal processes for work and income support programs.   

Leading and participating in statewide committees.   Our staff chair the state’s RI Works Advisory Committee and the state’s Child Support Advisory Committee.  We are also members of the Permanent Legislative Committee on Child Care.

Our policy agenda includes legislative proposals that help Rhode Islanders meet basic needs. Included are policies related to cash assistance, child care, health care, affording housing, the earned income tax credit, pay day lending, and food assistance.

Facts about Rhode Island Works
April 12, 2012 - This fact sheet provides some basic facts about Rhode Island Works, the state's welfare program. 

Drastic Drops in Spending and Caseloads for Child Care Program in Rhode Island
March 27, 2012 -

The Child Care Assistance Program was enacted to assure access to high quality child care for children in low- and modest-income working families. Enrollment and funding increased each year until 2005, but from 2005 to 2011 total funding has declined by 40%.

Rhode Islanders Need Child Care: Facts about the Child Care Assistance Program
March 27, 2012 - The Child Care Assistance Program provides subsidies to working parents to help pay for early learning programs for their young children and for safe after-school care. This program is vital to thousands of Rhode Islanders, yet has been dramatically impacted by budget cuts in recent years.

An Unbalanced Approach to Balancing the State Budget: A Recap of the FY2012 Budget
September 11, 2011 - Rhode Island policymakers were among those in 42 states charged with closing budget gaps for the 2012 Fiscal Year. Read about how lawmakers chose cuts over revenue increases to balance the state budget.

The Basics of the RI Works Program
March 11, 2011 - The Rhode Island Works program, the state’s “welfare” program, provides minimal cash support and work readiness services to approximately 5,800 low-income families.

Rhode Island Standard of Need
November 10, 2010 - Every two years, The Economic Progress Institute publishes The Rhode Island Standard of Need (RISN) to provide an accurate picture of how much it costs to live in Rhode Island, and to show how government assistance programs help families meet basic needs.

Office of Child Support Reductions Weaken Enforcement Capabilities
May 10, 2010 - The Child Support program, operated by the Office of Child Support Services, is vitally important to tens of thousands of Rhode Island single parent families.

An Uneven Path: State Investments in Women's Economic Self-Sufficiency
April 10, 2010 - Income and work support programs are vital to a woman’s ability to seek and sustain employment while caring for her family. In recent years, state investments in these programs have been severely eroded. The state’s weakened economy and growing budget shortfalls have resulted in significant spending cuts to the programs that help families meet their basic needs. 

State of Working Rhode Island 2007
February 03, 2007 - The Poverty Institute's biennial study that documents trends in wages, occupations, unemployment, and the state's workforce.

The Status of Women in Rhode Island - A Mid-decade Report
January 03, 2007 - This study, commissioned by the Women's Fund of Rhode Island and written by The Poverty Institute, measures how well Rhode Island women are doing on several indicators including political participation, employment and earnings, social and economic autonomy, and health and well-being.

The Right Start for Children, Families and Rhode Island
March 06, 2006 - The Starting RIght Initiative sought to ensure access to affordable, high-quality child care and early education for all Rhode Island families with children from birth to 16 years old.

State of Working Rhode Island 2005
September 03, 2005 - This report provides a comprehensive overview of the trends in job growth, unemployment, wages, poverty, and work-related benefits in Rhode Island.