On Thursday, March 21, the Hartford Foundation submitted testimony to the Legislature’s Human Services Committee in support of Senate Bill 1080 An Act Concerning a Two-Generational Initiative. The proposal would create a separate commissioner-level Two-Generational Family Economic Success Cabinet to better coordinate policies and programs across agencies to address the needs of children and their families. This two-generation executive Cabinet would be the first in the nation, furthering our state’s capacity to lead the nation on the central importance of the family, realized through a two-generation framework and approach. Two-generation perspectives are a vital part of the Hartford Foundation’s own investments with workforce development strategies embedded into early childhood and family programs, and vice versa, to ensure that families in our region are successful, supported, and thriving.
In its testimony the Foundation encouraged the Cabinet to examine existing models and ideas, including the discussions and recommendations of the Two Generational Advisory Council; existing pilot two-generation programs, such as those developed in partnership with the Connecticut Association of Human Services and the Hartford Foundation to bring two-generation perspectives to local early childhood collaboratives; and successful practices in other states to better serve low-income families.
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Testimony Supporting S.B. 1080
An Act Concerning a Two-Generational Initiative
Human Services Committee
March 21, 2019
Senator Moore, Representative Abercrombie, Senator Logan, Representative Case, and distinguished members of the Human Services Committee. The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is grateful for this opportunity to submit written testimony in support of Senate Bill 1080, An Act Concerning a Two-Generational Initiative.
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for the 29-town Greater Hartford region. As a community foundation, we manage, grow, and distribute approximately $1 billion in assets to promote equitable opportunity for all residents in our region, particularly in the areas of education, community safety, and community and economic development.
Two-generation models recognize that the well-being and life success of parents and children are interdependent[1]: children are best able to learn and grow when their families are healthy, self-sufficient, and thriving; parents are best able to work and to support their families when their children are safe, well-cared for, and learning. In particular, the two-generation approach helps ensure that in programs to support children and in workforce programs, the family is at the center. Low-income families, who often are the recipients of targeted workforce, family, and early childhood programs, benefit most from this two-generation approach.
The current Two-Generational Advisory Council includes legislators from each party and appointed representatives from business, health and mental health, children and family programs, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and scholars, as well as a member of a low-income household. At present, Commissioners or their designees serve as ex officio members of the Council. The Hartford Foundation supports Senate Bill 1080, which would create a separate commissioner-level Two-Generational Family Economic Success Cabinet to better coordinate policies and programs across agencies to address the needs of children and their families.
This bill would separate the advisory body (newly termed the Advisory Board in this bill)from the executive decision-making body. The Cabinet will provide the necessary leadership to identify new areas for individual departmental and collective action to better support families; better leverage existing and any new resources; and develop common practices, policies, and evaluative measures to improve service delivery. This two-generation executive Cabinet would be the first in the nation, furthering our state’s capacity to lead the nation on the central importance of the family, realized through a two-generation framework and approach. Meanwhile, the Advisory Board will continue to operate in a supportive capacity, bringing outside perspectives about municipal, philanthropic, and community-based experiences with two-generation strategies and, most importantly, the voice of families in advancing this important work.
Two-generation perspectives are a vital part of our own investments at the Hartford Foundation. Through this lens, we embed workforce development strategies into early childhood and family programs, and vice versa, to ensure that families in our region are successful, supported, and thriving.
Our experience confirms that the two-generation model is a holistic, systems-oriented approach that can have an enduring impact on Connecticut's families today — as well as the generations that follow. We will continue to embed this philosophy in our work and our partnerships with grantees and with peer philanthropic organizations. We thank the legislature for its support of a two-generation policy that can strengthen families, and in turn, improve Connecticut’s economy, safety and overall quality of life. There are many opportunities for a commissioner-level cabinet to address, among them:
In their work, we encourage the Cabinet to examine existing models and ideas, including the discussions and recommendations of the Two Generational Advisory Council; existing pilot two-generation programs, such as those developed in partnership with the Connecticut Association of Human Services and the Hartford Foundation to bring two-generation perspectives to local early childhood collaboratives; and successful practices in other states to better serve low-income families.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our staff at policy@hfpg.org or 860-548-1888.
[1] Some have argued that the term “multi-generation” or “poly-generation” would be more appropriate, given the rich complexity of families, but “two-generation” is the term that has caught on.