Richmond – Governor Timothy M. Kaine today appointed Delegate David Englin (D-45) to Virginia’s new Poverty Reduction Task Force, a collection of public and private-sector partners who will make policy recommendations to combat poverty in the Commonwealth. Englin will chair a subcommittee of the task force focused on methods to define and measure poverty, and he will serve on the task force’s workforce training and education work group.
“Especially in these trying times, when families are struggling to meet their basic needs and so many people are just looking for a chance to work hard and build better lives for themselves and their children, I’m honored to be a part of this task force,” said Englin. “Rethinking how we define and measure poverty is a critical overarching issue that will affect how we focus resources and whether we are actually making a difference in people’s lives, so I’m particularly excited for the opportunity to chair that part of the effort.”
“Helping Virginians lift themselves out of poverty will not be easy or quick, but it is imperative that we find ways to protect children in poverty and provide economic opportunity for all Virginians,” said Kaine. “With the current economic challenges we face, the work of the task force is even more urgent, and I eagerly anticipate positive results.”
Current data shows approximately 739,000 people, nearly 10% of all Virginians, live below the federal poverty line, including 232,600, or 12.9%, of Virginia’s children. As of 2007, the federal poverty line was $10,210 for an individual or $20,650 for a family of four. While Virginia’s statewide poverty rates are among the 10 lowest in the nation, certain regions are affected much more dramatically than others, with Southwest and Southside Virginia each having rates over 17%. Research shows that living in poverty can have negative impacts at any age, including poor nutrition during infancy, increased risk for academic failure in school age children, poor overall health in adults, and decreased access to prescription medication for seniors.
The Poverty Reduction Task Force, co-chaired by Secretary of Health and Human Resources Marilyn B. Tavenner and Richmond attorney Robert Grey, will identify challenges and opportunities to lift children and families out of poverty and present its recommendations in the spring of 2010. Members have been assigned to three working groups — asset development, individual and community resilience, and workforce training and education — and will spend a year reviewing research by national, state, and local experts on their policy areas. The Task Force also intends to hold regional community meetings in partnership with the Family and Children’s Trust Fund of Virginia to obtain the public’s perspectives on poverty in their communities. At the conclusion of its research, the task force will make short-term and long-term policy recommendations in its assigned areas, with the overarching goal of finding ways to help Virginians lift themselves out of poverty.
“We’re reaching out to a diverse group of people to identify solutions and resources that work in Virginia,” said Tavenner. “What we’re all committed to is making sure that our recommendations result in solid policy proposals for state lawmakers to consider.”
Kaine announced the creation of the task force at “Rethinking Poverty: Exploring Economic Opportunity for All Virginians,” a summit on poverty in the Commonwealth presented here today in partnership with the National Governors Association. The summit brought private and public partners together in the effort to combat poverty in the Commonwealth. Speakers included Dr. Ron Haskins, senior fellow with the Brookings Institution, who discussed national poverty trends, and Michael Cassidy, executive director of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, who provided a snapshot of the situation in Virginia.
The Virginia Poverty Reduction Task Force will receive funding and technical support from the National Governors Association, which provides support to states for analysis and implementation of comprehensive programs that address short- and long-term solutions to reduce poverty.
Englin is currently serving his second term in the Virginia House of Delegates, where he represents the 45th District, which includes parts of the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, and Arlington County. A Democratic Whip, he serves on the Privileges and Elections Committee, and the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee. Englin is up for re-election Nov. 3.
For more information, visit www.davidenglin.org.
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