2nd Annual Uniting to Fight Poverty Summit – Breakout Session Materials
WIOA – Will It Make a Difference for the Hardest to Serve Job Seekers?
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was passed in 2014, promising to transform federally funded job training programs across the country to ensure everyone can get the skills and training they need to punch their ticket to the middle class. This session will examine the opportunities and barriers from WIOA’s implementation on both a national and local level, and dive into the changes it means for workforce practitioners.
- Presentation from Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend of Philadelphia Youth Network
- Presentation from Anna Cielinksi of CLASP
Linking Affordable Housing and Childcare to Expand Opportunity
Two of the most important resources to help low-income families become and remain stable are the availability of affordable housing and high-quality child care. This workshop will explore potential policy and financing mechanisms that could spur the development of high-quality child care incorporated within affordable housing developments.
“Lessons Churned: Stabilizing Coverage and Care”
Churn is used to describe the unnecessary or unproductive cycling of families and individuals off and back on benefit coverage. This session will examine why churn is important, how to measure it, and how to understand its impact on productivity and well-being.
Closing the Racial Wealth Gap – Is Homeownership the Best Option?
Homeownership has been the cornerstone of the American dream for decades. The most recent recession exposed the numerous downfalls of housing as a wealth building vehicle, especially in minority communities, where discriminatory and predatory lending practices flourished. This has led to a widening of the racial wealth gap. Philadelphia must understand how to address the complicated issues of homes as assets, so that it can move forward in a way that proactively increases wealth across all races.
Mass Incarceration: Consequences, Effects, and Rehabilitation
Mass incarceration is a national issue which intersects with disparities relating to race, income, and economic opportunity. Incarceration bears collateral consequences for families, employment, education, housing, and much more. This session focuses on why these disparities exist in the American criminal justice system.
- Presentation from Jondhi Harrell from The Center for Returning Citizens
- Presentation from Sharon Dietrich from Community Legal Services
Trauma Poverty Connection: Public Health Perspectives
This session will explore the various risk factors and implications of unaddressed trauma in early childhood and how it may directly and indirectly have an impact on being in poverty later in life, examine the ways in which adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and exposure to trauma can impact overall well-being and health in economically disadvantaged communities and contribute to persistent poverty. Finally, we will discuss how models of trauma informed care provide new ways for social service and health care providers to respond effectively to the underlying presence of trauma.