Voices for Utah Children Articles
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* * SEE COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATURE'S $400 MILLION TAX CUT PROPOSAL AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE * * The 2023 Legislature's annual seven-week General Session has begun! At the top of the agenda for the Governor and Legislative leadership: tax...
- Type: Article
- Author: Matthew Weinstein
- Category: Updates & Blog
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The best holiday gift for Utah kids this year: An improved federal Child Tax Credit
Every December Congress meets to try to pass all the urgent items they didn't manage to get done the rest of the year. Usually the list includes tax policy changes demanded by one well-heeled special interest or another. This year is no different. At...
- Type: Article
- Author: Matthew Weinstein
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Digital Media Policies & Kids: The need for more thoughtful approaches to solutions
By Sariah Villalon (Voices Policy Intern) We live in a digital world where social media has become integral to our society. It has broadened our communication, allowing us to connect and share information with anyone around the world. It has helped...
- Type: Article
- Author: Sariah Villalon
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Brackeen v. Haaland: The Case Child Welfare Advocates Should Worry About
On November 9th, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the Brackeen v. Haaland (21-377) case.[i] The case could determine if the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), enacted by the U. S. Congress in 1978, is constitutional. Since it was enacted, ICWA has...
- Type: Article
- Author: Martín C. Muñoz
- Category: Updates & Blog
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After more than seven years advocating for Utah children’s health coverage and care, I will be leaving Voices for Utah Children to work on national school Medicaid policy and programs. I am so grateful to have worked alongside our amazing team at...
- Type: Article
- Author: Laneta Fitisemanu
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Wait, Still No Optional Full-Day Kindergarten for Your Family?
Labor Day weekend is in the past, the “heat dome” has cracked, and we are well on our way into the 2022-23 school year. Oh, and the majority of Utah families still have no choice when it comes to their child’s kindergarten program. Ensuring that all...
- Type: Article
- Author: Anna Thomas
- Category: Updates & Blog
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My Policy Fellowship Reflection | Abigail Piña Dahilig
Before starting my fellowship, I had experience doing paid contract work with Voices. The projects I supported were in juvenile justice and immigrant family policies. Over the past year, as part of my fellowship, I worked on the same issues in greater...
- Type: Article
- Author: Questions?
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Families living with health insurance, and without: New storybook highlights why all Utah children need health insurance Throughout the pandemic, health insurance has been a critical lifeline for Utah families to stay healthy and avoid medical debt....
- Type: Article
- Author: Ciriac Alvarez Valle
- Category: Updates & Blog
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My Advocacy Fellowship Reflection | Veronica Aguilera
Every child should have access to health care. A controversial yet straightforward statement. Providing every child the opportunity to grow healthy and allow them to bring their foot forward to be a contributing member of society. Utah ranks 49th in...
- Type: Article
- Author: Veronica Aguilera
- Category: Updates & Blog
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What happened to Coverage for All Kids this Session?
This Session, one of Voices for Utah Children’s top priority bills received very little public attention despite its behind-the-scenes activity. Below we will unpack what happened, lessons we learned, and what we believe the path forward should be so...
- Type: Article
- Author: Ciriac Alvarez Valle
- Category: Updates & Blog
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2022 Legislative Session: Tax Policy: Giving In Again to the Tax Cut Temptation
The story of tax policy in the 2022 Legislative session is a tale of two tax cuts: A large, top-heavy cut to the income tax rate from 4.95% to 4.85%. How large? $164 million. How top-heavy? 63% of it goes to the top 20% of taxpayers. all of whom have...
- Type: Article
- Author: Matthew Weinstein
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Invest in Utah's Future, Not Tax Cuts
BROAD COALITION CALLS FOR INVESTMENT IN UTAH’S FUTURE, NOT TAX CUTS, DOCUMENTS $5.2 BILLION IN URGENT UNMET NEEDS Salt Lake City – On Monday, November 8, 2021 on the steps of the Utah Capitol, a broad and diverse coalition of advocates for the poor,...
- Type: Article
- Author: Matthew Weinstein
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Why is Utah Restricting Medicaid Benefits for Parents? Your Comments are (Still) Needed!
Let's Change this Discriminatory Policy! In 2002, long before the Affordable Care Act, Utah decided to offer limited health benefits to low-income adults, who otherwise could not get health insurance. To help pay for these benefits, the state made the...
- Type: Article
- Author: Ciriac Alvarez Valle
- Category: Updates & Blog
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October is Youth Justice Action Month!
This October we celebrate Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM), a month of bringing awareness to and encouraging and inspiring action on behalf of young people that have and are currently being impacted by our criminal justice system. Voices is committed...
- Type: Article
- Author: Anna Thomas
- Category: Updates & Blog
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The Reconciliation Bill is Good for Immigrant Families!
Right now, Congress is in the process of debating and potentially passing a reconciliation bill that includes a number of provisions that are good for immigrant families. During the next couple of weeks and months, we will see several updates and...
- Type: Article
- Author: Ciriac Alvarez Valle
- Category: Updates & Blog
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What Utahns Really Think About Full-Day Kindergarten
For years, state leaders have not prioritized the expansion of full-day kindergarten opportunities for interested Utah families. This has resulted in very limited and uneven access to full-day kindergarten across the state. Some have justified their...
- Type: Article
- Author: Anna Thomas
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Thousands of Utahns are uninsured during pregnancy or after childbirth. A lack of health insurance coverage is associated with short and long-term health challenges, including postpartum depression and anxiety. In Utah, approximately 54 new moms every...
- Type: Article
- Author: Jessie Mandle
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Today we are celebrating nine years of DACA by sharing more information about this program and HR6: The Dream and Promise Act. Who are Dreamers? Dreamers are immigrant youth, who entered the U.S. before their 18th birthday. This name comes from the...
- Type: Article
- Author: Abigail Pina & Ciriac Alvarez Valle
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Good News and Bad News for Utah in New Census Report on State Education Investment
On May 18, 2021, as it always does around this time of year, the US Census Bureau released its Annual Survey of School System Finances. This report is the authoritative source of state education finance data and rankings, including the one we are all...
- Type: Article
- Author: Matthew Weinstein
- Category: Updates & Blog
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American Rescue Plan: Now is the Time to Invest in Health Coverage, Care and Equity for All Kids!
Last week the Utah Legislature accepted $1.7 billion (yes, billion) in federal COVID relief funds through the American Rescue Plan Act. Legislators have stated plans to allocate these funds towards Utah’s biggest challenges and opportunities. As a...
- Type: Article
- Author: Ciriac Alvarez Valle
- Category: Updates & Blog
