June Poverty In-Service

For this activity, please read the following information on the impact of poverty on children and families.

Socioeconomic status, or class, is a major factor that greatly defines how people live in the world. According to the Children’s Defense Fund, at the end of 2015 close to 15 million US children lived in poverty. There are many myths and stereotypes associated with being poor. To separate myths from reality, examine what we do know about children and poverty in the United States.

Play Spent: http://playspent.org/

How much money did have at the end of the month?

What were the hardest decisions you had to make?

Poverty in Our Community

As part of your role as a CASA/GAL volunteer, you will do research both online and in person to find answers and solve problems related to a case. Using resources in your community, find answers to the following questions about poverty and public assistance. Post your answers in the online discussion forum, and provide citations for where you found the information.

• What is the minimum wage in Idaho?

• Is Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) the most common term for welfare assistance in my state? If not, what is the more common term?

• What are the poverty guidelines for a family of four in my state?

• Are there limits on duration, number of children and or adults in the household, or other requirements to qualify for public assistance for families in my state?

WHAT IS THE LIVING WAGE CALCULATOR?

Families and individuals working in low-wage jobs make insufficient income to meet minimum standards given the local cost of living. We developed a living wage calculator to estimate the cost of living in your community or region based on typical expenses. The tool helps individuals, communities, and employers determine a local wage rate that allows residents to meet minimum standards of living.

https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/16/locations

Instructions:

• Select the county you live in.

• Using that data, answer the following questions: