Kids clothing allowance important

Posted: Aug 24, 2009 at 5:24 PM [Aug 24, 2009]

As summer draws to a close, stores are filling up with back-to-school bargains that signal the start of the new school year.

More than 2,100 low-income children in Washtenaw County will be able to participate in back-to-school shopping thanks to $84 per child from the Department of Human Services. These are among the poorest kids in the state - those living in families who depend on the Family Independence Program (FIP) for income.

In more affluent households, that amount might be considered a pittance - not even enough for a fancy new winter coat. But for struggling families, it means shoes that fit, perhaps a warm coat and boots from a used clothing store, a backpack, underwear, socks and jeans purchased at a discount store.

It makes a world of difference to children who do not have much. It helps their self-esteem and gives them motivation for that first day of school.

But that clothing allowance is on the chopping block. The Senate-passed plan for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 would cut next fall’s clothing allowance to $43 per child. This is a once-a-year payment to help cash-strapped families purchase school clothes.

The Senate-approved budget also cuts $10 per person per month in the cash assistance program that helps children in the poorest families in the state with rent, utilities and other basic needs.

Policymakers working on the budget must set aside their political differences and come together for the common good - to make sure the most vulnerable among us have their basic needs met. The state should keep the $84 clothing allowance as is, and avoid cutting the FIP grant.

The state budget is a statement about the character of our community. It should say, ‘Michigan and Ann Arbor care about vulnerable children.’

Signed,

Michigan League for Human Services President and CEO Sharon Parks
Michigan Catholic Conference Vice President for Public Policy Paul Long