An Emergency Policy Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

State Opportunities to Address the Needs of Families With Young Children Amid Public Health and Economic Crises

Key Takeaways:

The COVID-19 pandemic and economic crises have placed millions of people at risk for financial instability and poor health outcomes. State and local policymakers should seek out policy responses that fill existing gaps and address underlying race/ethnicity equity shortfalls in the federal response.

• Leverage administrative flexibility and federal waivers to implement existing public assistance programs with the unique emergency needs of families with young children at the center
• Establish and implement paid sick leave for all workers, in line with paid sick leave laws already implemented in states such as California and Massachusetts
• Create, strengthen, and expand state-level Earned Income Tax Credits to offer additional financial stability to working families
• Ensure all Medicaid-eligible residents have access to health coverage during this crisis
• Enact temporary rent and eviction moratoriums in order to stabilize residents and decrease the risk of housing instability and homelessness
• Address the gaps in federal COVID-19 legislation that exclude immigrant households from recovery assistance benefits (Recovery Rebates, Unemployment Insurance, etc.)