Connecting the Dots: Growth, Work, and Prosperity Connecticut Association for Human Services Connecticut Association for Human Services Our Mission CAHS works to end poverty and to engage, equip and empower all families in Connecticut to build a secure future. Staff Board of Directors James P. Horan, Executive Director President Maggie Adair Michael S. Rohde Shelley D.B. Copeland, M.A., M.Div. Gloria Beltran Director of Development and Marketing Executive Director Stephanie Bowers Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut Capitol Region Conference of Churches Mark Briggs 1st Vice President Kenneth A. Couch Michèle Carlson Laura Lee Simon Economist, University of Connecticut Judith Carroll Chair Emerita, Connecticut Commission on Children Walter S. Gilliam, Ph.D. Ellen Carter Trustee Emerita, Connecticut Public Broadcasting Director, Edward Zigler Center for Child Helene Figueroa 2nd Vice President Development and Social Policy Tracy Helin William J. Cibes, Jr. Mary Jennings Marilyn Ondrasik Chancellor Emeritus Linda Martinez Executive Director Connecticut State University System Maggy Morales Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (BCAC) Cheri Quickmire Secretary John Pakutka Aleja Rosario Sheila Perrin Managing Director - CHE President, Perrin Family Foundation The Crescent Group Treasurer Interns/Volunteers Galo Rodriguez, M.P.H. Luis C. Cabán President and CEO Executive Director, Southside Institutions Laura Gilnack Village for Families and Children Neighborhood Alliance (SINA) Caitlin Mackeown Ron Thomas Seema Narve Presidents Emeriti Manager of State and Federal Relations Patrick Phelan Cornell Scott Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) Ryan Sullivan Robert A. Solomon Katharine Terbush Ellen Tower Retired Vice President, Citibank Connecting the Dots: Growth, Work, and Prosperity Author Judith Carroll Design and Production Mary Jennings Photographs Mark Briggs Ellen Carter Mary Jennings Cheri Quickmire Published by Connecticut Association for Human Services, Inc. Hartford, Connecticut December 2007 © 2007 by the Connecticut Association for Human Services, Inc. All rights reserved. The photographs in this book are used for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to imply any relationship between the persons photographed and the subject matter discussed. Any portion of this report may be reproduced without prior permission, provided the source is cited as: Judith Carroll, Connecting the Dots: Growth, Work, and Prosperity. 2007 Connecticut Kids Count Report. Hartford, CT: Connecticut Association for Human Services, Inc. To obtain a copy of Connecting the Dots or for further information, technical assistance, or presentations, contact: Connecticut Association for Human Services, Inc. 110 Bartholomew Avenue, Suite 4030 Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 951-2212 Email: [email protected]; website: www.cahs.org Acknowledgements The Connecticut for Human Services (CAHS) gratefully acknowledges the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s work on behalf of all children, its ongoing sup- port of the Connecticut KIDS COUNT Project, and its commitment to improve the economic security of all families in our state. In particular, we would like to thank Cory Anderson, Laura Beavers, and Don Crary for their support and engagement on the issues. In addition, Bob Giloth, John Padilla, and Beadsie Woo – all of the Annie E. Casey Foundation – deserve special mention for their work fostering family economic success in Connecticut. We are especially appreciative of the continued generous sponsorship of the annual KIDS COUNT Data Book by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut. We would like to express our gratitude, as well, to the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the Robert and Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation, and The United Illuminating Company for their support. The following individuals merit special recognition and appreciation for the contributions they made to this publication: Kenneth Couch, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics; Douglas Hall, Connecticut Voices for Children; Sherrie Saint-Amant, The TJX Companies; and Liz Dupont- Diehl and Scott Wilderman, Career Resources. Special thanks to Maggie Adair for her editorial support. And finally, CAHS would like to thank the members of the Connecticut KIDS COUNT Advisory Committee: Jeffrey Blodgett, Connecticut Economic Resource Center Douglas Hall, Connecticut Voices for Children Elizabeth Brown, Connecticut Commission on Children Marie Hawe, CTE Yolanda Caldera-Durant, Fairfield County Community Foundation Kica Matos, City of New Haven Denise Campagnano, The ACCESS Agency David McGhee, Village for Families and Children Penny Canny, Connecticut Voices for Children Jane McNichol, Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut Kenneth Couch, University of Connecticut, Department of Marilyn Ondrasik, Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition Economics Peter Palermino, Connecticut Department of Social Services Jackey Dieli, Family Strides Natasha Pierre, Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status Michelle Doucette Cunningham, Connecticut After School Network of Women Walter Gilliam, Yale University Child Study Center Diane Randall, Partnership for Strong Communities Ajit Gopalakrishnan, Connecticut Department of Education Renae Reese, Connecticut Center for a New Economy Beverly Goulet, City of Norwich Social Services Louise Simmons, University of Connecticut School of Social Work Heidi Greeen, 1000 Friends of Connecticut Carl Thiesfield, Connecticut Department of Social Services Reverend Bonita Grubbs, Christian Community Action Scott Wilderman, Career Resources TABLE oF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 INTRODUCTION: YOUR GUIDE TO CONNECTING THE DOTS 3 CHAPTER ONE: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 5 Figure 1: Connecticut Hourly Wages, 1981 - 2006 8 Figure 2: Connecticut Economic Ranking Among the 50 States, 2006 10 CHAPTER TWO: RETURNING TO GROWTH 13 Figure 3: Connecticut Population by Urban and Non-Urban Towns, 1950 and 2004 13 Figure 4: Job Growth Rate by Year and Region 14 Figure 5: Productivity and Wage Growth in Connecticut, 1977-2003 15 Figure 6: Hourly Wage Needed for a 2-Bedroom Apartment, Connecticut, 2006 18 CHAPTER THREE: WORKING AND LEARNING 23 Figure 7: Preschool Experience by DRG, 2003 25 Figure 8: Municipal Spending for K-12 Public Education 28 Figure 9: Average Tuition and Fees for Full-time Students in Connecticut Public Colleges, 2006 31 CHAPTER FOUR: FAMILIES, WORK SUPPORTS, AND PROSPERITY 35 Figure 10: Connecticut Households by Racial/Ethnic Group with Income Below Self-Sufficiency Standard, 2000 35 CONCLUSION: BUILDING PROSPERITY FOR ALL 45 Dedicated to the Memory of Lisl Standen (1916-2006) Activist, Advocate and Friend of CAHS Lisl Standen, who passed away on November 4, 2006, worked locally and at the state level on many issues including housing, health, and peace. During her long advocacy career, she received a number of awards including the Distinguished Service Award from the Connecticut Commissioner of Housing in 1988. In 1991, CAHS presented Lisl with the Director’s Award for commitment and vision in guiding the development of the organization. The Connecticut Housing Coalition named her “Housing Heroine” in 1999 for her tireless commitment to afford- able housing and social justice. Executive Summary The purpose of Connecting the Dots is to illustrate the interconnection among working families, Connecticut’s prosperity, and the state’s economic future. It is also a call for new ideas and policies which foster that interconnec- tion and support the interests of all sectors of society. Problems that beset a number of Connecticut’s systems provide policymakers with the opportunity to turn around the situations that contribute to negative economic indicators. Ultimately, the continued prosperity of the majority is dependent upon fixing our systems and extending prosperity to all. Connecting the Dots maps out the findings and recommendations of a number of groups—government, business, philanthropic, and nonprofit—that have analyzed topics affecting the well-being of our state. In all cases, their rec- ommendations are thoughtful and worthy of consideration. We hope to demonstrate the convergence of conclusions from different perspectives and suggest that these sectors and others come together at the same table as a catalyst for action. Among the groups, organizations, and agencies whose work is cited in Connecting the Dots are: 1000 Friends of Connecticut; Connecticut Early Childhood Education Cabinet and the Governor’s Early Childhood Research and Policy Council; Connecticut Economic Resource Center; the Connecticut Office for Workforce Competitiveness; Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status of Women; Connecticut Regional Institute for the 21st Century; Connecticut Voices for Children; and HOMEConnecticut. The key points presented in Connecting the Dots include the following: To ensure the state’s long-term economic health, Connecticut leaders must address an array of issues that traditionally have not been directly associated with the economy. To solve Connecticut’s economic, workforce, and social problems, stakeholders from business, labor, nonprofits, municipal and state government, philanthropy, faith-based organizations, academia, and communities must be at the planning table. To guarantee success, poverty reduction and revitalization of core cities must be components of our economic development plan. Connecticut Association for Human Services Executive Summary 1 Introduction: Your Guide to Connecting the Dots Chapter Two Returning