The well-being of children in Alabama depends greatly upon the financial security of their parents. Clearly, children do better when their parents have secure, well paying employment. Children who grow up poor are more likely to experience negative outcomes than other children.
What is VOICES doing?
- VOICES documents measures of child poverty, single-parent families with children and vulnerable families in each Alabama county in our annual Alabama Kids Count Data Book.
- Alabama has what experts call an Upside-Down Tax System. That is, as a percent of income - taxes are set up to get the most from the people who have the least, and the least from those who have the most. VOICES works to support economic security for Alabama’s children by promoting efficient and fair tax policies.
- VOICES has commissioned Washington, DC strategic communications firm, Public Knowledge, LLC, to engage in research on voter attitudes towards state taxes. This research will form the basis of communications to help people better understand how our tax and budget systems affect family economic well-being.
- VOICES advocates for protection and expansion of the Alabama child care subsidy program.
- VOICES, in partnership with Alabama Arise published The Alabama Tax and Budget Handbook to improve public understanding of the state’s tax policy.
- In 2007 and 2008, VOICES advocated successfully for a $1.2 million increase to the Alabama child care subsidy program, which provided more open slots to low-income children.
- VOICES’ led a three state rural research project entitled The Rural South; Listening to Families in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennesee in an effort to document the effect of poverty and rurality on familes.
Learn More
New! Child Poverty Rates and Rankings by Congressional Districts
Child Care Subsidies Program
Alabama’s Budget and Tax Policies
Center for Budget and Policy Priorities
Rural Alabama
Alabama Poverty Project