This policy alert was authored by Rebecca Feeney, practicum student at the Clark-Fox Policy Institute. Beginning January 1, 2024, the Missouri minimum wage increased to $12.30/hour for most workers. The increase follows a 2018 referendum that raised the minimum wage to $12/hour over five years and will continue to adjust the minimum wage every following […]
Yesterday, the Respect for Marriage Act was codified into law and it will go a long way toward protecting families and promoting child wellbeing. The recognition of same-sex marriages allows children to be raised by loving same-sex parents who are committed to one another and to their children. It contributes to a stable and supportive […]
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, nationwide nearly two-thirds of child care providers have closed, leaving working parents struggling to find reliable care. Without additional public funding, over four million providers of early childhood care and education (ECE) across the United States are at risk of permanently closing. One recent survey, by the National […]
Over the past year, the Trump administration has proposed a series of changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would systematically prevent millions of Americans from receiving needed benefits. The most recent adjustment would alter the way utilities costs are calculated in order to determine eligibility. The change could mean that nearly one […]
Violence in the Northern Triangle region of Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras) has prompted thousands of individuals, families and unaccompanied minors to seek protection and asylum in the United States – many arriving by way of the U.S./Mexican border. As of July 22, 2019, approximately 10,000 Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) were in care […]
May 2018 Justice for Juveniles: Raising the Age for Inclusion in Juvenile Courts Over the past 10 years, many states that previously prosecuted 16- and 17-year-old offenders in the adult judicial system have raised the age to 18. This trend has occurred in response to a growing body of research demonstrating the harmful effects of […]
Access is critical but by itself not sufficient The Affordable Care Act is credited with expanding healthcare coverage to more than 20 million previously-uninsured Americans – a significant achievement for the United States as access to healthcare is a major driver of health outcomes. Still, access alone will not eliminate racial health disparities, ranging […]
Missouri Law Undermines Equity in Housing and Education U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development extends deadline to May In 2017, legislation passed in Missouri that weakened the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA), making it more difficult to prove discrimination. The modification to the MHRA by Senate Bill 43 formed the basis of the NAACP’s […]
Moving Toward a Healthier Missouri: Reinstituting Therapy Services in Missouri Medicaid In October 2017, the Center for Health Economics & Policy at the Institute for Public Health and the Clark-Fox Policy Institute at the Brown School at Washington University hosted Transforming Healthcare in Missouri: Ideas for Innovation and Investment to generate ideas for improving […]
Harvest Box – Return to Sender! President Trump’s 2019 budget proposes significant alterations to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which could result in an estimated eligibility cut for at least 4 million people, and reduce program funding by $213 billion over the next ten years. As described in a previous Clark-Fox Policy Institute policy brief, SNAP plays a […]
Since Fall 2017 the Clark-Fox Policy Institute has been raising awareness on the importance of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides federal matching funds to states to provide health coverage to children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, but who can’t afford private coverage. Funding for CHIP expired in […]
In the months since taking office President Trump has acted decisively to undermine the health security of Americans that was established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA, also commonly referred to as ObamaCare, currently provides health insurance to nearly 12 million Americans. While the ACA remains the law, executive actions by the Trump […]
On September 30, 2017, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expired without reauthorization. Even though a bipartisan bill for extension of CHIP was introduced last month, it was never brought to a vote. If no action is taken, 8.9 million children in the United States will lose their health insurance coverage. In Missouri, about 87,790 children are in danger of losing their coverage. The […]
The Trump Administration has eliminated over $213 million in funds for teen pregnancy prevention programs and research, raising concerns that teen pregnancy rates will begin to rise. The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP) was established by the Obama Administration in 2010 to promote evidence-based interventions for reducing teen pregnancy rates among young people at higher risk. Administered by […]
If funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is not extended by Congress this month, millions of children in the United States will be at risk of losing their health insurance coverage in just six months. Currently, 8.9 million children throughout the United States and between 60,000 and 70,000 children in Missouri have coverage through CHIP. In 1997, CHIP was […]