Hanauer recommends steps for working families at House Community and Family Advancement Committee field hearing
Posted August 12, 2015 in Press Releases
“Working families struggle in Ohio because wages are too low, childcare costs are too high, they lack transportation, and basic needs are costly,” said Policy Matters Ohio Executive Director Amy Hanauer in testimony that she will deliver to the Ohio House Community and Family Advancement Committee at the Friendly Inn in Cleveland today.
“Ohio legislators can help by raising standards for jobs, improving eligibility for public childcare, funding mass transit and prioritizing training,” Hanauer said.
Hanauer’s testimony will be delivered at one of several field hearings that the committee is holding around the state to develop solutions for families. The testimony details that all but three of Ohio’s largest occupations pay a wage below a threshold that would enable families to escape poverty and not need public assistance with food, healthcare or cash. The testimony also outlines where Ohio is coming through for working families, and how other states are surpassing Ohio in supporting childcare, low income tax credits, and higher education.
The committee is chaired by Representative Timothy Derickson and includes Vice Chair Timothy Ginter and Ranking Member Stephanie Howse, who represents part of Cleveland, Brooklyn Heights, Cuyahoga Heights and Newburgh Heights. Friendly Inn, the settlement house where the hearing is being held, is in the Promise Neighborhood of Cleveland, a neighborhood that advocates are collaborating to improve, led by the Sisters of Charity Foundation. In addition to Hanauer, testimony is scheduled from leaders in nine different Cleveland foundations, non-profits, training providers, service providers and employers.