When it comes to providing educational opportunities for families, Ģ����Ƶ ranks 14th out of 50 on measuring families’ access to school choice nationwide.  

At first glance, that doesn’t seem like such a bad position, but when you dig deeper, the picture becomes less flattering. Ģ����Ƶ is still lagging behind and we have our work cut out for us to ensure that every family has access to a great education.

Where Does Ģ����Ƶ Stand?

Ģ����Ƶ scored four out of a possible 100 on which weighs three major factors:

• Access to School Choice: Only 15% of Ģ����Ƶ’s K-12 students are eligible for school choice programs, far below what it takes to establish broad, equitable access.
  

• Flexibility in Educational Funding: While Ģ����Ƶ has made strides through its Promise Scholarship Program (an education savings account or “ESA”), current funding systems and program designs limit how well families can use educational funds to meet their unique needs.
  

• Funding Parity: Choice students in Ģ����Ƶ receive just 45% of the funding allocated to their public school peers. For example, public school students receive $13,810 per pupil, while choice students average $6,264 in funding. 

These metrics paint a clear picture of why Ģ����Ƶ’s score is so low. More significantly, it’s a reminder of the limitations facing families who are seeking to access the best education for their children.

Image Credit: EdChoice,

Ģ����Ƶ’s Neighbor to the South Earns the Top Score

To notch a perfect score of 100, states must have several policies in place. First, universal school choice is a must. That means all students, regardless of income or zip code, have access to a great education.

A second requirement is that all educational funds allocated to students must be fully usable for any educational expenses—anything from tuition to textbooks to needed therapies or tutoring.

Lastly, funding per choice student must be equal to the amount provided to public school students. 

So far, no state has achieved these standards, but Florida has come the closest with a score of 77 out of 100.  Florida allows for all students to access school choice and receive 77% of the funding that public school students receive. Additionally, all students may use these funds flexibly.

Closing in on Florida are Arkansas (60), as well as Alabama and Arizona (each scoring 59). 

While these states are leading the way, the Friedman Index is a reminder that the majority of the country still has a long way to go on education choice and opportunity. The idea of a “school choice” revolution has sparked widespread conversation, but in reality, even higher-ranking states like Ģ����Ƶ have only begun to tap into the full potential of school choice and its benefits for families and communities.

Educational Opportunity Matters Most for Ģ����Ƶ’s Low-Income Communities

The limitations of Ģ����Ƶ’s school choice programs disproportionately affect children from low-income communities. For these families, access to the right education isn’t just a luxury—it’s a pathway to life-changing opportunities, such as improved academic performance, higher graduation rates, and better chances of long-term employment and financial stability.

Data consistently shows that providing families with education options leads to better outcomes for kids. For example, numerous studies indicate that students in choice programs are more likely to become proficient in core subjects like reading and math, areas that often determine future academic and career success.

One recent leap forward is the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship, a state-funded initiative designed to give families financial support to choose the best learning environment for their child. The program opens to families this year, providing scholarships of $6,500 a year that families can use for private school tuition, tutoring, special needs programs, homeschooling, or other customized options outside the traditional public school system.

While this program is an encouraging start, it’s not enough to rank Ģ����Ƶ among the nation’s top states for school choice. Currently, too few students have access to the program, and funding levels fall short of what’s needed to enable meaningful choice for all families.

The Friedman Index Gives Ģ����Ƶ a Roadmap, Not Just a Score

The factors that make up the Friedman Index give Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers clear steps to increasing education opportunity for all students:

• Expand Access to School Choice: Every family throughout Ģ����Ƶ should have access to educational opportunities that meet their child’s needs, regardless of income or location. This includes significantly increasing the percentage of students eligible for choice programs, particularly the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship.

• Increase Funding for Choice Students: Ģ����Ƶ must make substantial investments to bring funding for choice students closer to parity with public school funding. Providing families with adequate resources will make educational choice a real possibility—not just an option in name only.
  

• Focus on Students, Not Systems: It’s time for Ģ����Ƶ to reframe its education policies around the needs of students. Our goal shouldn’t be to improve Ģ����Ƶ’s ranking on an index, but to provide real hope and opportunity for the students who need it the most.

Image Credits: Canva, EdChoice

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Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers wrapped up the 2025 legislative session with some big decisions that affect our state’s families, students, and workers.

Several new laws were passed to improve education, job opportunities, and access to childcare — while a few important changes didn’t quite make it through.

“The 2025 session included some key victories to improve public school classrooms, expand school choice options, and improve workforce opportunities,” said Buzz Brockway, vice president of policy for GCO. “While there were some disappointments on bills that didn’t make it across the finish line, we are pleased with the progress lawmakers made this year in promoting an agenda to allow all Ģ����Ƶns to flourish.”

What Passed: New Ģ����Ƶ Laws in 2025

These bills passed out of both the House of Representatives and the Senate and are headed to the governor for signing. 

: Less phone distraction, more student engagement

K-8 classrooms now face stricter limits on student cell phone use during school hours. The goal of this policy is to cut down on distractions and help kids stay engaged in the classroom.

: More support for charter schools

With this legislation, local boards of education must reconsider denied charter petitions and provide detailed explanations for their decisions. To incentivize approvals, schools receiving charters are eligible for grants of $250,000 a year for three years to help them get started.

and : Helping kids read better

Two bills aimed to boost reading skills among Ģ����Ƶ students. HB 307 updates dyslexia screening and interventions and improves statewide coordination to help at-risk students earlier. SB 93 makes sure future teachers are trained in proven methods to teach reading. State-approved educator preparation programs must align their core curricula with the science of reading—a move that aims to enhance literacy instruction by prioritizing evidence-based methods.

: Bigger tax break for child care

Families can now get a larger credit on their state taxes (up to 40% of the federal tax credit) for expenses related to child and dependent care. By allowing Ģ����Ƶ families to subtract more child care expenses from their annual taxes, this measure eases the financial burden on working families across the states.

: Simplifying licensing for businesses and trades

HB 579 makes it simpler and faster to get professional, business, or trade licenses in Ģ����Ƶ, reducing paperwork, red tape, and other barriers getting in the way of people looking for steady work.

: Free college prep tests for homeschoolers

SB 63 mandates that homeschool students in Ģ����Ƶ must have free access to take AP, SAT, and PSAT exams at their local public schools. Improving access to testing for  all students helps level the playing field for college readiness.

​�ċWhat Didn’t Pass (But Could Still Come Back) 

Despite these successes, some significant bills were left on the table when the legislative session abruptly adjourned early.

: Second chance for job-seekers with a criminal record 

This measure would have helped people with past criminal records get job licenses more easily.  A simpler, fairer process gives returning citizens better opportunities to rejoin  the workforce and build stable livelihoods and futures. However, due to legislative discord, the bill didn’t get a final vote. 

: Making Ģ����Ƶ’s welfare programs work better 

This proposal sought to create a task force to streamline safety net and workforce development systems in Ģ����Ƶ. It was shelved due to disagreements, but it’s on the radar for next year’s session. Connecting welfare and workforce programs should be an immediate priority because it’s one of Ģ����Ƶ’s best opportunities to remove barriers to work and upward mobility for more people. 

Image Credit: Canva

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For returning citizens, stable employment can mean so much more than financial stability. It can be a powerful source of renewed purpose and belonging within their communities. In fact, has shown that if returning citizens can keep a job for six months or more, their likelihood of ending up back in prison drops dramatically. It also improves the odds that returning citizens will reconnect with loved ones, especially their children, another step toward preventing recidivism.

That’s where enters the picture. Introduced in Ģ����Ƶ’s 2025 legislative session and sponsored by Sen. Brian Strickland, the measure would create clearer guidelines for individuals with criminal records, making it easier to obtain job licenses in various industries.

The bill applies to a variety of occupations in various fields, including education, healthcare, insurance, real estate, trade occupations, and first responders.

The Ģ����Ƶ Chamber of Commerce SB 207, praising the bill for how it “standardizes the process for reviewing applicants with criminal records, narrows the types of offenses licensing boards can consider, and updates first-offender treatment provisions—all while maintaining important public safety protections.”

SB 207 didn’t get the final vote it needed to pass in 2025, but lawmakers can pick it up again in 2026. 

Key job licensing improvements in SB 207 

1. Creates a simpler process for evaluating licenses applications.

SB 207 introduces a preclearance process to streamline the evaluation of licensing applicants with criminal records. Under this process, licensing authorities must present clear evidence when rejecting applicants based on criminal convictions. The measure also mandates hearings before applicants are denied licenses due to their criminal backgrounds, setting specific criteria to guide these decisions and prioritize due process. These structures help ensure licensing boards operate with greater transparency and fairness. 

2. Shores up the predetermination process to increase fairness.

The bill creates a predetermination process that allows individuals to petition licensing boards for an early evaluation of their eligibility based on their criminal history, even before completing the necessary qualifications. Licensing boards are required to provide detailed justifications for any adverse outcomes, offering applicants the chance to appeal or present additional evidence. The changes help ground decisions in merit rather than prejudice.

3. Recognizes the hard work returning citizens have put in toward rehabilitation. 

The bill requires licensing boards to carefully evaluate the nature and seriousness of past offenses, the length of time since the incident, and the individual’s age at the time of the crime. They must also review evidence of rehabilitation, including educational achievements, work history, and community involvement. This holistic approach gives more consideration to the applicant’s growth and emphasizes their present ability to contribute to the workforce, allowing them to overcome past mistakes. 

4. Places limitations on criminal records to create more neutrality.

Finally, the bill imposes limitations on the types of criminal records that can influence licensing decisions. Sealed, pardoned, or older minor convictions are generally excluded from consideration, helping applicants avoid unnecessary penalties for issues long resolved. It also curtails the use of subjective standards, such as assessing “good moral character,” which can perpetuate bias and inconsistencies.

Ģ����Ƶ needs licensing reform to reduce barriers to employment

While occupational licensing serves an important purpose in certain industries, it often becomes an unnecessary barrier for individuals eager to pursue meaningful careers. These barriers hit low-income workers the hardest. Licensing fees, mandatory coursework, and unpaid apprenticeships can be insurmountable for those struggling to make ends meet or to overcome difficult circumstances, past or present. For example, someone trying to enter a trade like plumbing or electrical work might face costs of thousands of dollars before they can begin earning.

Job licensing reforms offer a way to expand job opportunities and restore people’s hope for better future. With SB 207, Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers have a chance to build on their recent history of reforming occupational licensure to benefit Ģ����Ƶns and strengthen our workforce.

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Benefit cliffs discourage work and trap families in long-term financial struggles. A new policy solution offers a way out.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the largest anti-poverty programs in the U.S., providing over 41 million Americans with critical food assistance in 2024. But for many recipients, a system designed to support often ends up trapping—with significant barriers known as benefit cliffs.

These cliffs occur when small increases in income result in recipients suddenly losing their SNAP assistance, leaving them in a worse financial position for working more hours or earning an income boost. For example, a single parent’s modest hourly raise might lead to a benefit cut that completely offsets their increased take-home pay.

The negative ripple effects extend far beyond individuals and households. Benefit cliffs reduce workforce participation and make it harder for plenty of small businesses and industries to find the workers they need to grow and serve customers.

A new proposal for reform, developed with research by Erik Randolph at the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity in collaboration with Angela Rachidi of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), offers a way to dismantle SNAP benefit cliffs and restore the program’s original mission—helping families achieve financial independence and stability.

SNAP’s design discourages career growth among recipients

SNAP is meant to help low-income families put food on the table. But the system unintentionally penalizes those who pursue better wages or career opportunities.

For many recipients, earning extra income—not just large raises but even modest increases as one gains skills or works more hours—means abruptly losing SNAP benefits altogether. Instead of slowly tapering down, benefits “fall off a cliff” as income rises.

This financial disincentive creates a dilemma for households relying on SNAP. While accepting additional shifts or applying for a higher-paying position could signify career growth, it may financially set them back without SNAP assistance offsetting basic expenses.

The economic impact is widespread. With fewer prime-age workers, employers encounter labor shortages, and their ability to operate efficiently is compromised. Workforce productivity also declines when workers are stuck in part-time, lower-skilled jobs rather than advancing to higher economic opportunities. The result is a cycle that makes it harder for families to break free from reliance on public assistance programs.

New SNAP reform proposals offer a way forward

Research by AEI and GCO outlines actionable steps to eliminate benefit cliffs while maintaining SNAP costs close to historical levels. These recommendations include changes to critical factors within the program’s structure to allow for a smoother, gradual reduction in benefits as income rises.

Key reforms involve adjusting the following elements of SNAP’s benefit system:

• Adjust participants’ cost-sharing responsibilities. The proposed plan would reduce the benefit reduction rate from 30% to 18%, making it easier for families to transition off benefits.
• Cost-sharing should begin as soon as income increases. Right now, deductions delay cost-sharing, which creates benefits cliffs when income limits run out. The new plan is a middle ground, starting benefit reductions earlier but at a lower rate. While it might lower benefits for many families, benefit cliffs are eliminated or reduced.

These structural adjustments effectively close the gap between earned income and benefit loss, removing financial penalties for participants who work more hours or accept higher-paying opportunities.

A win for workers, families, small businesses, and taxpayers

Simplifying and improving SNAP’s benefit structure solves major labor market challenges. For recipients, reforms encourage workforce participation and career advancement, empowering them to climb the economic ladder without fear of a financial setback.

For employers, these changes help restore a steady supply of available workers, addressing hiring difficulties in industries that rely on hourly, shift-based, or entry-level staff. Additionally, SNAP reform creates fiscal balance while allowing the government to save money long term—potentially reducing program expenses by 27% or $30 billion annually.

GCO continues to investigate ways to improve safety-net programs to help families escape poverty, and these recommendations for SNAP are an important piece of those efforts. Employment is one of the most reliable ways to break cycles of poverty, yet benefit cliffs trap too many families in stagnant economic conditions. Eliminating these barriers will strengthen the workforce, stabilize families, and create economic momentum that benefits us all.

Download the full report from American Enterprise Institute and Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity here.

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Key Points

• Community violence is one of the factors examined in a new book called “,” which examines how we can improve relationships, institutions, and community environments to expand upward mobility among kids.
• The book features from GCO’s director of criminal justice initatives, Josh Crawford, explaining how community violence affects kids and their futures. See an excerpt below.
• “Doing Right by Kids” is a thoughtful, accessible guide to improving opportunities in the communities where children’s lives are formed. .

Public safety and community violence are more critical now than they have ever been. With increasing societal tensions and the lingering effects of the pandemic, Americans—including Ģ����Ƶns—want to feel secure in their neighborhoods. The path to achieving this sense of security is clear: fund the police, hold violent offenders accountable, and ensure a fair and just system that doesn’t allow fear and lawlessness to prevail.

At the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity, we believe that addressing public safety and community violence is essential for creating thriving communities. This belief is echoed in a new book, which features a pivotal chapter by our very own Josh Crawford, GCO’s director of criminal justice initiatives.

In his chapter, Josh explores the significant impact of public safety and community violence on children and provides insightful solutions for rebuilding social capital and fostering safe environments.

Below is an excerpt from Josh’s chapter, “Kids and Community Violence: Costs, Consequences, and Solutions.” You can also read the full chapter here.

When it comes to improving opportunities for kids, we need better ideas. Now they’re here. 

When it comes to improving opportunities for kids, we need better ideas. Now they’re here.
of “Doing Right by Kids” today. 

“Doing Right by Kids” Excerpt: Why Focus More on Public Safety and Public Order? 

Walk into any suburban coffee shop in a low-crime neighborhood and look around. You’ll quickly notice the tables are populated by tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of laptops and smartphones, and designer purses sit on the floor. These items often go unguarded when patrons pick up their coffees or go to the bathroom. It’s the normal course of business in these establishments. No one fears these items will be stolen. There is an unconscious presupposition of public safety. This is what happens when the public order is upheld.

When this presumption of safety falls apart, however, people change their behavior. Following the expansion of remote work during the coronavirus pandemic, workers in New York City violence and crime as the primary reasons for not wanting to return to the office. Research on crime avoidance also finds that households will pay a premium to avoid violence. One 2011 of families in the San Francisco Bay Area in California found that the average household was willing to pay $472 per year to avoid a 10 percent increase in violent crime.

The United States has had varying degrees of success in public safety over the years. In the modern context, violent crime peaked in the United States in 1991 with 758.1 instances per 100,000 people, an increase of more than 470 percent from 1960. Homicide, the most destructive and permanent of the violent offenses, peaked in 1980 at a rate of 10.2 per 100,000 residents and in 1991 with a rate of 9.8 per 100,000 residents; in 1960 the murder rate had been almost half that at 5.1 per 100,000 residents.

After 1991, as a result of a number of changes in policing, sentencing, and a wide array of other hotly debated factors, homicide and violent crime declined significantly in cities across the country (Figures 1 and 2). This decline continued until 2014, when the homicide rate reached 4.4 per 100,000 and the violent-crime rate was 379.4 per 100,000. While this was a huge improvement from the highs of 1991, the violent-crime rate in 2014 was still more than double the rate in 1960. It has in recent years, with a jump in homicides in 2020.

Figure 1. US Homicide Rate per 100,000, 1960-2022

Figure 2. US Violent-Crime Rate per 100,000, 1960-2022

While the long-run decline in crime is important, it is ultimately too reassuring because no one lives in “the nation.” Aggregated data erase important variations from state to state, city to city, and neighborhood to neighborhood. People live in communities, not the whole nation.

Despite these declines in violent crime often being disproportionately , violence continues to concentrate at the sub-city level. One of gun violence in Boston, for example, found that these crimes were concentrated in less than five percent of one-block street segments and intersections. The “law of crime concentration” generally that in large cities, about 50 percent of crime occurs in about five percent of street segments. Crime is even more concentrated in smaller cities, where, on average, between two and four percent of street segments for 50 percent of violence. These micro-communities lack the minimum levels of safety and order that are precursors for human flourishing, and the effects of their violence propagate beyond these few hot zones.

Philosopher and political theorist James Burnham :

Human beings must have at least a minimum security in life and property, must be able to move through the streets and between the cities, must accept certain common rules in their mutual intercourse, or civilization does not exist. If this necessary order is subverted, the civilization is destroyed, whether the subversion takes place from the best or worst of motives, whether or not it is in some supposedly moral sense justified, whether it is carried out by saints or devils. At some point the guardians of a civilization must be prepared to draw the line.

For far too many children, this kind of order has been inconsistent at best and nonexistent at worst. For children in these neighborhoods, violence is pervasive and affects them both directly and indirectly. Those directly affected are the youth that join criminal street gangs and become perpetrators, as well as those who are either victimized themselves or kin to victims. Those indirectly affected are those who neither become perpetrators nor victims but who contend with the persistent fear, stress, and isolation that comes with growing up in a community with high rates of violence.

Bridging the gap for America’s kids

Overall, “” explores the truth that, while material hardship among American children is at an all-time low, upward mobility is still difficult for children in poor households and neighborhoods. Despite reduced hardship, children born to disadvantaged parents are still likely to grow up disadvantaged due to counterproductive policies within our safety net. 

The belief that increased financial support alone will advance poor children is inadequate. While progressive strategies have fallen short, conservative skepticism towards government intervention has also neglected the needs of these children.

Truly supporting America’s kids requires focusing on the building blocks of healthy and fulfilling lives—from neighborhood environments to family life to educational opportunities. “Doing Right By Kids” offers innovative proposals to rebuild social capital by strengthening relationships and institutions for children and adolescents, advocating for experimental approaches to identify effective, scalable policies.

For policymakers, community leaders, parents, and concerned citizens, “Doing Right by Kids” is a thoughtful, accessible guide to learning more about what kids really need from us and our society in order to thrive.

to get a copy and to share the book with neighbors and colleagues. 

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At a time when income inequality and lack of economic mobility are hot topics, a report from the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) sheds light on how our social safety-net system could be contributing to these trends. 

Entitled “Workforce Engagement: A Missing Link in Understanding Income Inequality,” the report explores how government support unintentionally discourages low-income workers from escaping poverty. The report also presents actionable policy solutions to avoid that trap.

What Are Safety-Net Benefits?

Safety-net systems include programs like food stamps, housing subsidies, and Medicaid, designed to provide financial assistance to those in need. While these programs are essential, they can inadvertently create barriers to long-term financial independence. This phenomenon is known as the “benefits cliff,” where individuals and families turn down career advancement opportunities to avoid losing government benefits.

The Source of Income Disparities

The GCO report reveals that government benefits often obscure the true income disparities between low-income and middle-income households.

When examining work-capable households, the unearned income from government benefits can paint a misleading picture of economic equality. Without these benefits, it’s clear that households in the lowest income quintile earn significantly less than their counterparts in higher income quintiles.

The report also highlights how these safety-net benefits can create disincentives for the lowest-paid workers to move up the economic ladder. For instance, after adjusting for taxes and transfer payments, the net income of households in the lowest quintile is almost equal to those in the second quintile, despite the latter earning nearly four times more. 

This equalization is largely driven by government transfers, which provide significantly more support to the bottom quintile compared to the second quintile. This scenario leads to nearly identical average per capita net incomes between these groups.

Workforce Engagement

A Missing Link in Understanding Income Inequality

The compelling new report that examines the unintended consequences of our nation’s social safety-net system on low-wage workers.

Download the full report

Policy Recommendations

Understanding the dynamics of income inequality and the unintended consequences of social safety-net systems is crucial for fostering economic mobility and improving the quality of life for low-income workers.

To boost workforce engagement and reduce reliance on social safety nets, the report suggests several policy reforms:

• Reducing Benefits Cliffs: Adjust thresholds for benefit eligibility to prevent sudden losses of support as income increases.
• Work Incentives: Offer incentives for part-time workers to transition into full-time roles.
• Education and Training: Provide better access to educational resources and vocational training programs.

GCO is dedicated to working within underserved communities to understand the realities of poverty and the public policies that perpetuate it. Our previous research, including on intergenerational poverty, underscores that America’s social safety net is designed to address situational poverty rather than systemic poverty.

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Recent reports,, have highlighted a concerning trend in Ģ����Ƶ—declining marriage rates.

According to data from the, only 30% of Ģ����Ƶns have been married at least once in their lives. This is indicative of a larger national trend: The marriage rate across the U.S. by nearly 60% over the past 50 years.

While societal pressures to marry have lessened and many young people doubt the benefits of marriage, this decline raises important questions about the impact on individual well-being and societal mobility.

Marriage rates in Ģ����Ƶ are a leading factor in quality of life

Helping people form healthy, committed relationships is a key pillar of the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity’s mission to help all Ģ����Ƶns flourish. Relationships are essential to well-being in general, but marriage has a particular impact on the quality of life and upward mobility for men, women, and children.

Quality of life

Marital status is one of the strongest predictors of adult well-being, surpassing other factors like education, race, age, and gender., married individuals often report higher levels of happiness and satisfaction compared to their unmarried peers. This isn’t just about companionship—marriage can provide emotional stability, financial security, and social support, all of which contribute to a better quality of life.

Upward mobility

. Couples often benefit from dual incomes, shared resources, and consolidated expenses, making it easier to save and invest in the future. This financial stability can lead to better opportunities in terms of education, homeownership, and overall wealth accumulation. Essentially, marriage can act as a catalyst for achieving a higher economic status and breaking free from cycles of poverty.

Benefits for children

Children raised in two-parent, married families often experience greater stability and economic advantages, contributing significantly to their overall well-being. from the Institute for Family Studies shows that children who live in households with married parents experience more financially secure environments, less conflict, and more parental support.

According to polling from Gallup, married people report higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. This is another indicator of how essential relationships are for personal well-being and quality of life. 

According to polling from Gallup, married people report higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. This is another indicator of how essential relationships are for personal well-being and quality of life. 

Certain barriers in Ģ����Ƶ make marriage and its benefits hard to pursue

Despite marriage’s benefits, Ģ����Ƶ has several barriers that discourage marriage as a path to fulfilling relationships and flourishing lives. Educational challenges and a social safety net that frequently discourages marriage are a couple of significant roadblocks that can make it harder for people to pursue marriage.

Educational challenges

Educational attainment is another significant barrier. Those with higher levels of education are more likely to marry, but educational opportunities are not evenly distributed across the state. Addressing these disparities could encourage higher marriage rates and, consequently, greater upward mobility.

A social safety net that punishes marriage

Another significant barrier to marriage in Ģ����Ƶ is the “marriage penalty” embedded within many social safety net programs. The term refers to the phenomenon where low-income individuals or couples may actually lose financial benefits by getting married.

Programs such as Medicaid, housing assistance, and food stamps often have income thresholds that discourage marriage. When two low-income individuals marry, their combined income might exceed these thresholds, leading to a reduction or complete loss of benefits—creating a “benefits cliff.”

This financial disincentive can make marriage less appealing for low-income individuals who rely on these crucial programs to make ends meet. By losing access to necessary support, the economic stability that marriage can potentially offer is compromised, perpetuating a cycle where the cons outweigh the pros.

Addressing these safety-net barriers is essential for fostering an environment where marriage can thrive and contribute positively to individual and societal well-being.

The way forward

While the decline in marriage rates in Ģ����Ƶ is a complex issue influenced by various societal and economic factors, it’s essential to recognize the underlying benefits of marriage. Beyond the romantic ideals, marriage plays a pivotal role in enhancing quality of life and facilitating upward mobility.

To counteract the downward trend, it’s necessary to address the barriers that discourage marriage and create a more supportive environment for couples.

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As summer break approaches for many teens and young adults, most will be looking forward to leisurely activities like a trip to the beach, camping, or even summer camp. Kids at this developmental age indeed need relaxation and rejuvenation over summer breaks, but it is also a valuable opportunity to reap lifelong benefits.

Parents, guardians, or even mentors may want to encourage their teen to get a summer job—not just to earn a little spending money but because work has many other benefits to the health and resiliency of teens.

It’s true that the brains and bodies of kids need some time to relax and rejuvenate after a long school year—and taking a much-needed break in the summer months can be a good thing. There’s also a lot to be said for getting a summer job that teaches the value of work and offers benefits that reap dividends over the course of their lives.

Work is good for young people

Research shows that seasonal and part-time employment for teenagers and young adults has almost universally positive impacts. The truth is that holding down a summer job is something that previous generations commonly experienced—and enjoyed—but kids today have been comparatively shielded from working until much later in life.

In fact, according to the, the summer labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-olds in July 2023 was only 60.2%—slightly down from the previous year’s rate of 60.4%. By comparison, back in July 1989, the rate peaked at 77.5% before trending downward over the next 20-plus years to settle between 60.0% and 60.6% from 2012 to 2018. 

Since then, the rate dropped significantly to 57.3% in 2020 due to the economic dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, though it has since returned to pre-COVID levels at around 60%.

Contrasting by gender, the 2023 gap in summer labor force participation was the smallest on record—at only 0.4%—with only 60.4% of young men working compared to 60.0% for young women. Interestingly—and not surprisingly—the gender gap was its widest at 40.9 percentage points back nearly 75 years ago in July 1950. Also not surprising is that today most summer jobs for teens and young adults are in leisure and hospitality (25%), retail trade (18%), and education and health services (13%). 

Clearly, the current generation of teens and young adults is working less than their predecessors. But what’s the impact on their lives?

They not only miss out on the financial benefits of earning money, but also on learning “soft” skills and attitudes that will positively impact them for the rest of their lives, including time management, respect for supervisors, following instructions, being reliable, demonstrating an upbeat attitude, dressing appropriately, accepting constructive criticism, and even using work-appropriate language.

In July 2023, the summer labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-olds was 60.2%. In July 1989, the rate peaked at 77.5%. The drop means more young people are missing out on the benefits of work.

In July 2023, the summer labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-olds was 60.2%. In July 1989, the rate peaked at 77.5%. The drop means more young people are missing out on the benefits of work.

For young people, benefits of work span all areas of a healthy life

Beyond this, the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) team has thoroughly reviewed the literature and found that there are nine benefits for work that help teens and young men and women develop a strong work ethic that lays the foundation for success in every area of life: 

1. Personal finances: When we think of work, we immediately think of a paycheck. That’s the most obvious benefit. Work enables kids to buy both necessities and luxuries, to pay for education, even to start saving for retirement. Attaching to work early is also important for avoiding the trap of the social safety-net system that can unintentionally keep people mired in poverty.

2. Serving others: Earning money in a free market economy shows the ability to create value by serving others and learning self-reliance.

3. Economic impact: The more people work, the more the economy grows. This creates a more prosperous society and leaves those who work personally better off than those who don’t work. Those who don’t work deny society resources that could have made everyone better off—while simultaneously pulling resources away from other important societal needs.

4. Personal well-being: Work confers dignity and respect. It provides a sense of meaning and purpose in life. In contrast, those who don’t work are, overall, less happy and experience higher levels of personal and familial stress, sadness, despair, hopelessness, apathy, and depression.

5. Mental health: Those who work experience improved mental health outcomes and have higher self-esteem, fewer psychosomatic symptoms, less anxiety, and decreased suicide risk.

6. Alcohol and substance abuse: Those who work generally have reduced drug use and improved treatment outcomes. The impact of substance abuse appears to be greater on those who don’t work.

7. Physical health and lifespan: Those who don’t work generally have poorer physical health, including disrupted sleep patterns, higher risk for cardiovascular disease and respiratory infections, and shorter longevity.

8. Family relationships: Working has a particularly positive impact on males when it comes to family formation. Young men who work are much more likely to marry and have a family.

9. Crime: Working typically has a positive effect on teens and young adults by increasing future wages, building human capital, and reducing criminal behavior and recidivism—especially for economic crimes involving property damage, theft, and drugs. 

Taken together, the evidence is strong for teens and young adults to start working on a seasonal or part-time basis. Whether it’s learning to manage a summer job in between camps, family vacation, and other enrichment activities or working during the academic year after school or on the weekends, the benefits of employment go far beyond earning money. 

While it may be fashionable for parents to shelter their children from the working world as long as possible to allow them to enjoy a more carefree and leisurely adolescence, the data—and generational wisdom—show that we do kids more harm than good by unduly delaying their exposure to the workforce.

The post 9 Benefits of Work for Teens and Young Adults appeared first on For Opportunity.

Quendasia’s life was changed forever when she was seriously injured in a car crash several years ago. The accident left her with a traumatic brain injury that made returning to work a challenge. She spent five years struggling with unemployment before hearing about the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) program—and its partnership with Jobs for Life.

Like many job-seekers, Quendasia discovered BETTER WORK in a moment of crisis or urgent need. And because GCO prioritizes building a network of community resources and employer partners, we were able to help her find support for her immediate needs.

But part of what makes BETTER WORK unique—and effective—is that we help people move from crisis into developing connections and a fresh mindset to pursue long-term, stable work. This is where BETTER WORK and (JFL) came alongside Quendasia to help her envision and pursue a professional path that was so much more than just a paycheck.

This gets to the heartbeat of GCO—to remove barriers to opportunity and foster thriving communities in which everyone can achieve their fullest potential. Work is a key piece of the puzzle—not only because it unlocks economic mobility, but also because it empowers people to find fulfillment in a sense of personal and collective purpose, structured routines, and relationships that lead to belonging and support.

Together, BETTER WORK and Jobs for Life empower people to see that they have a valuable place in their communities and can make unique contributions through work. 

Back in 2022, we recognized that the focus of our BETTER WORK initiative strongly aligned with the vision and values of Jobs for Life, a network of job-training groups available through churches and nonprofit organizations that break down barriers to work. Originally launched in 1996 in Raleigh, North Carolina, JFL is now available in more than 300 cities nationwide.

This shared vision led to a collaboration with the power to transform the lives of individuals, families, and whole communities.

In Columbus, which is home to one of our BETTER WORK chapters, we partner with Jobs for Life to offer an 11-week course that pairs participants with a one-on-one mentor. JFL’s curriculum has the benefit of incorporating essential skill training and behavioral development into its model. Each class provides two hours of instruction in soft skills, discussions on the importance of work in daily life, and exercises in character development.

Back to Quendasia’s story. 

Prior to coming to Jobs for Life, she had a GED and she was planning to go to college. Through JFL, she honed practical and essential work skills—like how to interact with others and show up on time. These details seem small, but they are often the tools people need most to capably and confidently pursue meaningful work and realize their inherent personal value. 

“Jobs for Life got my mind back on track for working. I met different people and learned different skills,” Quendasia shared. “Before Jobs for Life, I didn’t feel confident enough to get a job. I didn’t really believe in myself. But now I know I can do it.”

BETTER WORK’s Jobs for Life class in Columbus, GA, introduces participants to community resources and champions that offer support on their journeys to pursuing long-term, meaningful work. 

The discovery of personal potential and worth is at the heart of BETTER WORK and Jobs for Life. Both programs share the core belief that everyone has an inherent, God-given dignity worthy of recognition and respect. Through their shared focus on relational support, human connections, and community, BETTER WORK and Jobs for Life empower people to see that they have a valuable place in their communities and can make unique contributions through work. 

Today, Quendasia works at Piedmont Healthcare—an opportunity she never would have had without the support and networking she found through JFL.

The BETTER WORK partnership with Jobs for Life allows GCO to leverage our existing network of employers, community leaders, and resource providers to make JFL classes even more successful for the local churches and organizations that choose to host and sponsor the training in a BETTER WORK community.

Take one more example. Recently, Tiarra connected with BETTER WORK through our partnership with the Jobs for Life program. She was looking for new opportunities at a job fair after losing her job.

“The class pushed me even further,” Tiarra said. “I wouldn’t have ever found my mentor or the job I’m in right now. I love all the teachers. Every lesson was a blessing,” 

Today, Tiarra is at Troy University online school working toward a bachelor’s degree in social work. “I used to live in fear, and now I embrace challenges and try to work through them instead of shying away from them,” she added.

Across the nation, the need for programs like BETTER WORK and Jobs for Life is significant:, as of February 2024, nearly 6.5 million Americans were unemployed, 22 million were underemployed, and 80% of workers were disengaged. 

These numbers can seem overwhelming and even impossible to change. But that only becomes true when we forget that the biggest differences start close to home. 

When it comes to empowering vibrant communities and upward mobility, the most important place to start is at the community level. That’s what BETTER WORK and Jobs for Life are built for. Quendasia and Tiarra’s stories are testimonies to the good that can come when mission-aligned programs like BETTER WORK and Jobs for Life work together to build hope and opportunities in the places where people need them most—in the communities where everyday lives are lived.

The post BETTER WORK and Jobs for Life: Giving Ģ����Ƶns a Path to Find Purpose and Possibility in Work appeared first on For Opportunity.

Ģ����Ƶ’s labor force continues to show its historic resilience, as there are tens of thousands of jobs available across the Peach State. , there were 313,000 job openings, according to the Ģ����Ƶ Department of Labor.

Even so, there are problems. Although the state boasts , our state’s labor force participation rate stands at 61.5% as of December 2022, compared to 62.2% prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. These percentages mean a considerable number of Ģ����Ƶns who could work are not doing so.

Part of the reason is due to design flaws in our nation’s social safety-net system. The complexity and requirements of programs like food stamps, housing assistance, and medical benefits turn these programs into poverty traps instead of bridges to work and independence.  

There is a policy states can use to give people an easier path out of the safety net and into work. It’s called the One Door policy, and the solution is in the name: This reform transforms how the safety net delivers support by streamlining multiple disconnected programs into a single welfare and workforce program.

The One Door policy solves the overwhelming barriers of the safety-net system

The truth of the matter is that our nation’s welfare system is a fragmented hodgepodge of programs. The dozens of programs that make up the system have different and, at times, competing goals, inconsistent rules, and overlapping groups of recipients. Often, recipients must resubmit the same information multiple times for multiple programs with the aid of multiple caseworkers. This disconnect fosters despair and keeps recipients in a cycle of poverty—as every hour spent navigating the system is an hour not spent pursuing a path out of it. 

At the same time, there is often a disconnect between safety-net programs and welfare-to-work initiatives. The end result is that people stay mired in generational poverty rather than receiving a helping hand to live a better life.

How many people are affected in Ģ����Ƶ? For the 2022 calendar year, more than 1.6 million Ģ����Ƶns were enrolled in the food stamps program, while more than 2.4 million were on the Medicaid/CHIP program—two of the largest safety-net programs. That compares to a statewide population of 10.9 million people. 

These groups of millions are made up of real individual people who have their own futures and potential. When a safety-net system discourages work and family stability—two of the most important building blocks of a better future—people lose hope. As individual states and as a country, we can better address the suffering of poverty, unemployment, and fragmented families and relationships by creating a simpler, more humane system that rewards work and supports family and community stability. 

For individuals on welfare, every hour spent navigating the system is an hour they can’t pursue a path out. The One Door policy would change that. 

Proposed legislation (House Bill 738) takes the first step to bring the One Door policy to Ģ����Ƶ

In this environment, the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity team is on the vanguard of educating about safety-net reform. A key way we are doing so in Ģ����Ƶ is by pushing forward this legislation to create a One Door task force in the state, .

The task force would create a plan to integrate the safety net with workforce development, One Door approach in Utah. Other states, including West Virginia and Louisiana, are weighing similar proposals. So why not here in Ģ����Ƶ?

People across the political spectrum agree that work is key to lifting people out of poverty. Toward this end, the goal of the task force authorized by the bill is to “study the intersection of workforce development programs and safety net programs.” The Task Force on Workforce and Safety Net Integration, housed within the Technical College System of Ģ����Ƶ, would be composed of nine members appointed from various corners of the government.

Ģ����Ƶ has already taken important steps forward to improve our safety-net and workforce development systems. The Ģ����Ƶ Gateway is a unified enrollment system for food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Childcare and Parent Services program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, but is limited to only those programs. Ģ����Ƶ has also taken steps to consolidate workforce programs under the Technical College System of Ģ����Ƶ.

But to remain a great place to live, work, and raise a family, Ģ����Ƶ must make sure all its citizens are participating in the economic growth we are experiencing. That’s why we need HB 738. 

How would Ģ����Ƶ’s One Door policy task force work?

The duties of the task force would include:

• Developing best practices for the state agencies and departments involved with administering workforce and safety-net programs.
• Exploring ways to merge state agencies or departments to better serve Ģ����Ƶ citizens.
• Exploring how to best integrate the delivery of Ģ����Ƶ’s various workforce development programs and safety-net programs.
• Creating implementation strategy for an integrated delivery system, including a customer-driven platform, simplified program governance and operations, and safeguards to ensure program integrity.

A final report is due to the governor and the General Assembly no later than December 31, 2025.

What problems does the task force solve?

By forming a task force, Ģ����Ƶ can explore further consolidating service delivery via Ģ����Ƶ Gateway and the Technical College System of Ģ����Ƶ—and how those entities and others can better coordinate service delivery. 

The task force will also prepare Ģ����Ƶ in the event that Congress reauthorizes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which could include the process allowing individual states to pursue a Utah-style One Door consolidation of welfare and work support services. 

The great news is that Ģ����Ƶ doesn’t have to wait on Congress to act. Through the task force and other means, the state can explore additional means of consolidation, up to and including consolidating entire departments. Ģ����Ƶ can also provide job training to more of its citizens, fueling additional economic growth.

The exciting part is the end result of these changes—more Ģ����Ƶns who will have the opportunity to escape systemic poverty, achieve self-sufficiency, and climb the economic ladder to create a better, more prosperous future for themselves and their children.

The post A Better Safety Net in Ģ����Ƶ: Mapping the One Door Policy (House Bill 738) Would Be a Big Step Forward appeared first on For Opportunity.