Opportunities For Working Families
A Leadership Forum for State Lawmakers
Updated August 2012
Below is a list of sessions from past meetings, including links to a selection of handouts and presentations given by our speakers. Links to past meetings are located in the blue column under Table of Contents.
Click here to view meeting agendas from 2010 and 2011.
 To view PDF files, you must install Adobe Acrobat Reader.
About The Forums:
Since 2003, the NCSL/AECF Partnership on Family Economic Success has held an annual meeting to give lawmakers a chance to convene with their colleagues and discuss solutions to the challenges faced by low-income working families. Participants hear from leading experts and practitioners, who offer a look at some of the ways legislators can take the lead when it comes to helping families help themselves.
The meeting's format is geared towards problem solving. Each year, NCSL invites the leadership from 10 states to send small teams of legislators to the forum. Each state team meets periodically between plenary sessions, designing an action plan that addresses some of the issues impacting low-income families in their home state. NCSL staff and faculty are on hand to provide assistance throughout the meeting, especially during the state strategy sessions.
Over the years, participants have overwhelmingly approved of the meeting's action-oriented format.
"I generally tend to avoid conferences because most are ineffective and time consuming, but this one was quick moving, informative and will lead to results," said one legislator who has attended multiple times.
"My colleagues and I returned from that meeting with a strong sense of purpose," said another from a state that consistently sends bipartisan teams - a goal of conference organizers.
2010
Opportunities for Working Families in Tight Budget Times
June 28-29, Denver, CO
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SESSION |
RESOURCES |
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Opportunities for Working Families: A Common Sense Agenda
Ralph Smith, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Maryland
Listen to Session Audio
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Learn more about the Annie E. Casey Foundation
and their work on Family Economic Success.
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The Role of Workforce and Economic Development in Preparing for 21st Century Jobs
Ken Poole, Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, Virginia
Fred Dedrick, National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Massachusetts
Listen to Session Audio
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Center for Regional Economic Competativeness
National Fund for Workforce Solutions
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State Team Time: What to Expect
Senator Amanda McGill, Nebraska
Listen to Session Audio
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Nebraska State Profile |
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Getting the Most for Your Money: Public Investments in Programs that Work
Steve Aos, Washington Institute for Public Policy, Washington,
Listen to Session Audio
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 Evidence-Based Programs and Policies:
Picking Them, Passing Them, Doing Them, and
Holding Them Accountable
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Maximizing Public Investments
Sheri Steisel, NCSL, Washington, D.C.
Chauncy Lennon, The Ford Foundation, New York
Elaine Zimmerman, Commission on Children, Connecticut
Listen to Session Audio |
Improving Work Supports Access and Retention
TANF Emergency Contingency Funds
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Earned Income Tax Credits
Child Poverty Legislation
Children in Recession Legislation
Children in Recession Report
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Innovative Policies to Improve College Access and Success
Brenda Bautsch, NCSL, Denver
Listen to Session Audio
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The Path to a Degree: Policies to Improve
College Access and Success
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Legislator Panel: Ideas to Action
Representative Jeannie Darneille, Washington
Delegate John Olszweski, Maryland
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Iowa State Profile
Maryland State Profile
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Trends in Early Childhood Care
Julie Poppe, NCSL, Colorado
Representative Ruth Kagi, Washington
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NCSL Early Education and Care |
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Health Reform in a Nutshell
Martha King, NCSL, Colorado
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Major Access Provisions of the Affordable Care Act |
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Doorways to Dreams
Timothy Flacke, Doorway to Dreams, Massachusetts |
Innovations in Saving Implications for State Policy |
2009
Opportunities For Working Families
June 26-27, Denver, CO
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Session |
Resources |
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Opportunities for Working Families: A Common Sense Agenda
Bonnie Howard, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Maryland
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Learn more about the Annie E. Casey Foundation and their work on Family Economic Success.
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Preparing a 21st-Century Workforce
Julian Alssid, Workforce Strategies Center, New York
Sarah White, Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Wisconsin
Listen to Session Audio
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Workforce Strategies Center
Greener Pathways: Jobs and Workforce Development in the Clean Energy Economy
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Assets: The Key to Family Economic Success
Heather McCulloch, Asset Building Strategies, California,
Cynthia Winter, Neighborhood Partnership Fund, Oregon
Senator James Seymour, Iowa
Listen to Session Audio
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Building the Financial Security of Working Families: State Asset Policy
Individual Development Account Initiative
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Financial Services for Low and Middle-Income Americans
Kimberly Gartner, Center for Financial Services Innovation, Illinois
Listen to Session Audio
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Financial Services for Low and Middle Income Americans |
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Federal Update: A Focus on Poverty
Sheri Steisel, NCSL, Washington, DC
Listen to Session Audio
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ARRA "Strengthening Communities Fund - State, Local, and Tribal Government Capacity Building Program" |
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Innovations Panel
Chris Gibbons, City of Littleton Office of Business/Industry Affairs, Colorado
Anne Stuhldreher, The New America Foundation, California
Listen to Session Audio
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Economic Gardening Video
What is Bank on California?
Bank on San Francisco |
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Maximizing Public Investments in Tight Budget Times
Kathy McGuire, Office of Policy Analysis and Government Accounting (OPPAGA), Florida
Arlene Lee, Center for the Study of Social Policy, Washington, D.C.
Listen to Session Audio
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Identifying Effective Programs Through Legislative Evaluation
Results-based Public Policy™: Using Results To Develop Public Policy, In Good and Bad Economic Times
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Doorways to Dreams
Timothy Flacke, Doorway to Dreams, Massachusetts
Listen to Session Audio
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Innovations in Saving Implications for State Policy |
2008
Opportunities For Working Families
June 16-17, Denver, CO
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Sessions
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Resources
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Opportunities for Working Families: A Common Sense Agenda
Ralph Smith, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Maryland
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Learn more about the Annie E. Casey Foundation and their work on Family Economic Success.
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Assets: The Key to Family Economic Success
Rourke L. O'Brien, New America Foundation, Washington, D.C.
Representative Jeanne Darneille, Washington
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Assets:The Key to Family Economic Success
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Health Care for Low-Income Families
Laura Tobler, NCSL, Denver
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Learn more about health care in the states at NCSL
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Building a 21st Century Workforce
Mary Gershwin, Leaders for Skills, Colorado
Collie Langworthy Hutter, Click Bond, Inc., Nevada
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Developing a 21st Century Workforce
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State Policy to Support Low-Income Students
Joni Finney, National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, California; and the Graduate School of Education,University of Pennsylvania
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Helping Low-Income Students Enroll and Succeed in Higher Education
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Effective Legislative Approaches to Poverty
Elizabeth Kneebone, The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.
Representative Mary Lou Dickerson, Washington
Senator James Seymour, Iowa |
The Importance of the EITC to Low-Income
Workers and Their Families
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Doorways to Dreams
Peter Tufano, Harvard Business School, Massachusetts
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Learn more about the Doorways to Dreams Fund
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NOTE: NCSL provides links to other Web sites from time to time for information purposes only. Providing these links does not necessarily indicate NCSL's support or endorsement of the site.
Opportunities For Working Families
June 10-12, Denver, CO
Click here to listen to selected speakers from the 2007 Meeting
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Sessions
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Resources
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Assets: The Key to Family Economic Success
Heather McCulloch, Asset Building Strategies (CA)
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Promoting Economic Security for Working Families: State Asset Building Policies
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The Role of Community Organizations
Angela Duran, Southern Good Faith Fund (AR)
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Building Communities, Changing Lives
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Small Business Development for Low Income Entrpreneurs
Chuck Palmer, Institute for Social and Economic Development (IA)
Eugene Severens, CFED (DC)
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Restarting Rural Economic Engines: Get Your Goat Here
Read more about low-income entrepreneurs at CFED
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Building a 21st Century Workforce
Mary Gershwin, Center for Workforce Success (CO)
Reverend Steve Planning, Arrupe Jesuit High School (CO)
Mary Andringa, President of Vermeer (IA)
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The Skills Gap: Myth or Reality?
Listen to Rev. Planning
The Demand For Skills: What will it take to address it?
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Avoiding the Money Trap: Financial Education & Services
Jessica LeVeen Farr, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (GA)
Chuck Shannon, United Way of America (CO)
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Accessing the Financial Mainstream: The Role of Financial Services and Education
Financial Stability
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The High Cost of Being Poor
Matt Fellowes, Brookings Institution, (DC)
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Listen to Matt Fellowes
Access more of Matt's work at Brookings
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NOTE: NCSL provides links to other Web sites from time to time for information purposes only. Providing these links does not necessarily indicate NCSL's support or endorsement of the site.
Opportunities For Working Families
June 11-13, Denver, CO
NOTE: NCSL provides links to other Web sites from time to time for information purposes only. Providing these links does not necessarily indicate NCSL's support or endorsement of the site.
Helping Working Families in Tight Budget Times
July 14-16, Chicago, IL
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Sessions |
Resources |
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Building Assets for Low Income Working Families
Representative Dwight Evans, Pennsylvania Task Force on Working Families (PA)
Heather McCulloch, Asset Building Strategies (CA)
Dory Rand, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law (IL)
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PA Dept. of Banking Task Force on Working Families
Promoting Economic Security for Working Families
State Asset Building Initiatives
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Rural America: Challenges & Opportunity
Roger Thomas, Former Chair, NCSL Agriculture & Rural Development Committee (KY)
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Learn more about Agriculture and Rural Development in the states at NCSL
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Assets & Opportunity: Hope for Families
Lillian 'Beadsie' Woo, CFED (NC)
Dorie Rosenband, SmithBarney (IL)
Beth Llewellyn, Partnership for Homeownership, Inc (IL)
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Financial Security Across the States
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State Budget Outlook: Implications for Low-Income Working Families
Senator Donne E. Trotter, Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee (IL)
Ron Snell, NCSL (CO)
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Learn more about state budgets at NCSL
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Health Care for Low-Income Families
Laura Tobler, NCSL (CO)
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Learn more about health care in the states at NCSL
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After Welfare Reform: Are Families Better Off?
Bruce Meyer, University of Chicago (IL)
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Access more of Bruce's work at the University of Chicago
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Family Resource Simulator
Nancy Cauthen, National Center for Children & Poverty, Columbia University (NY)
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Access the simulator at the National Center for Children & Poverty
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Workforce Development: A Cornerstone of Family Economic Success
Burt Barnow, Johns Hopkins University (DC)
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The Workforce Investment Act in Eight States: Briefing on the Final Report
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NOTE: NCSL provides links to other Web sites from time to time for information purposes only. Providing these links does not necessarily indicate NCSL's support or endorsement of the site.
Helping Working Families in Tight Budget Times
June 17-20, Philadelphia, PA
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Sessions
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Resources
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Acheiving Self-Sufficiency By Building Assets
Carl Rist, CFED (NC)
Sharmain Matlock-Turner, Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition (PA)
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Access more of Carl's work at CFED
Read more about Philadelphia's Urban Affairs Coalition
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Affordable Housing: Achieving the American Dream
Peter Beard, Fannie Mae Foundation (DC)
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Read more about affordable housing and community development at Fannie Mae
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Child Care & Transportation
Harriet Dichter, United Way of Pennsylvania (PA)
Matt Sundeen, NCSL (CO)
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Learn more about transportation for low-income families at NCSL
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Workforce Development
Jennifer Noyes, The Hudson Institute (WI)
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What Legislators Need to Know about Workforce Development
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Performance Based Budgeting: Achieving Results
Gary VanLandingham, Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability (FL)
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Learn more about performance based budgeting in the states at NCSL
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NOTE: NCSL provides links to other Web sites from time to time for information purposes only. Providing these links does not necessarily indicate NCSL's support or endorsement of the site.
Helping Working Families in Tight Budget Times
June 5-8, Seattle, WA
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Sessions
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Resources
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Achieving Financial Security By Building Assets
Carl Rist, CFED (NC)
Stella Chao, International District Housing Alliance (WA)
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Access more of Carl's work at CFED
Read more about the International District Housing Alliance
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Job Retention & Advancement
Fred Keller, Chairman & CEO, Cascade Engineering (MI)
Robin Arnold-Williams, Utah Department of Human Services (UT)
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Moving to Self-Sufficiency: It Works
Improving Outcomes for TANF Families in Utah
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Improving Access to Health Care: Partnerships & Community-Based Solutions
Laura Tobler, NCSL (CO)
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Learn more about health care in the states at NCSL
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State Legislative Approaches to Helping Families in Tight Budget Times
Corina Eckl, NCSL (CO)
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Learn more about state budgets at NCSL
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Achieving Positive Outcomes for Vulnerable Families & Neighborhoods
Eldon Mulder, Legislative Consultants (AK)
Roxanne Lieb, Washington Institute for Public Policy (WA)
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Missions and Measures: Results Based Budgeting
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NOTE: NCSL provides links to other Web sites from time to time for information purposes only. Providing these links does not necessarily indicate NCSL's support or endorsement of the site.
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Table of Contents
NCSL Contact
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