In October of 2013, Kids Forward (then the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families) released the Race to Equity Report documenting dramatic disparities in well-being between African Americans and whites in Dane County and across the state of Wisconsin. It was neither the first report of its kind, nor the last, to attempt to draw...
The Top Five Problems with the Proposed $419 Million Tax Break for PPP FundingWisconsin state lawmakers are rushing to pass a new tax break for businesses, with a minimum of opportunities for public input. The tax cut would significantly reduce the amount of resources Wisconsin has to invest in families, schools, and communities that...
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need for safety planning within secure facilities due to a unique set of risks and vulnerabilities for youth who are in custody.1 In comparison to other states, Wisconsin has demonstrated a strong commitment to preserving the health and safety of all by implementing Coronavirus emergency...
The new federal poverty guidelines, which are adjusted for inflation each January, provide an opportunity to reflect on the challenges faced by low-income families, and they help illustrate why state and federal policymakers ought to help more Americans gain access to health care. These guidelines largely control who is eligible for...
Working families with low incomes could get an economic boost from a tax cut included in the federal COVID-19 package — but in order for them to get the full benefit, state lawmakers need to take action to tweak Wisconsin’s tax code. By not acting, the legislature will deny parents $31 million dollars to protect their families from the...
It has been more than nine months and 5,300 COVID-19 deaths in Wisconsin since state lawmakers have enacted any legislation to help combat the pandemic. In fact, Wisconsin’s legislature has been the least active full-time legislature in the country since the pandemic began. Instead, legislative leaders have sued to block Governor Evers...
The board of Kids Forward, a statewide policy advocacy organization, has named Michele Mackey to be its next CEO effective January 1, 2021. Mackey succeeds Ken Taylor, who served in the position for 11 years, and co-led the organization with Mackey since 2017. The Kids Forward Board is deeply grateful for Ken's eleven years of dedicated...
Wisconsin Assembly Republicans have released a proposal that is theoretically a plan to fight COVID-19 but in reality is a thinly-veiled attempt to strip power from schools, local officials, and the Governor, and transfer that power to legislative leaders. The Wisconsin legislature last passed a bill in April, almost eight months ago,...
“We need real investment in our communities, in our safety and our ability to access jobs and our ability to access good quality education and housing and not to be discriminated against in every aspect of society.” - Opal Tometi, Black Lives Matter Co-Founder The key question facing all who are committed to systemic change rooted in...
For Wisconsin’s economy to work for everyone, we need a tax system that takes an active role in undoing the legacy of racial discrimination that makes it difficult for many families of color to thrive. With targeted reforms, state and local tax policies can expand opportunity and ensure that public resources are invested in a way that...
Your address helps us identify your legislators and the most relevant messages to send you.