Publications

Connecticut Voices for Children released their Issue Briefing Book 2020-2022.  Versions of this document have been developed throughout the 25 years of the organization’s history. As the state experiences the convergence of a health crisis, an economic recession due to that crisis, and a contentious and long-overdue conversation on race, the “Book” has been refreshed given Voices’ new, strategic aim toward economic justice and these unprecedented times. The Issue Briefing Book 2020-2022 is designed to be a starting point for shared knowledge around the research and recommendations that are fundamental to family economic security and the undergirding fiscal and economics, with the hope of advancing shared action.

Connecticut Voices for Children released a report that outlines the three, large, coronavirus-related Congressional bills to date. The report, entitled “Federal Efforts to Address the Coronavirus Pandemic & the Ensuing and Precipitous Economic Downturn” examines The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-123), which became law on March 6, 2020; The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127), which became law on March 18, 2020; The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136), which became law March 27, 2020; and The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (P.L. 116-139), which became law April 24, 2020.  This report, in three parts, describes the key provisions of these federal efforts, with emphasis on those most relevant to Connecticut children and families.

Connecticut Voices for Children released a report entitled ‘Pathways to Continuous Coverage of Medicaid in Connecticut.’ Retaining eligible children and adults in HUSKY Health, Connecticut’s Medicaid and CHIP programs, is a key strategy for reducing the number of uninsured Connecticut residents and increasing efficiency within state agencies. The State recently implemented a new eligibility database and has made strides in increasing rates of autorenewal and simplifying the  processing of paperwork. However, a concrete understanding of the causes of gaps in coverage for Connecticut’s HUSKY enrollees remains elusive.  To assess the causes of these gaps, Connecticut Voices partnered with Health Equity Solutions to conduct focus groups on challenges faced by HUSKY enrollees and individuals providing assistance when navigating the enrollment and renewal processes. This report includes recommendations to ensure that fewer individuals experience gaps in coverage.

Connecticut Voices for Children released a report entitled ‘Advancing Health Equity for Connecticut’s Children and Families Through Health Systems Transformation’ that reveals health reform efforts have the potential to improve health equity dramatically, yet evaluations of early models suggest a risk that reforms may widen racial and ethnic disparities in health unless equity is thoughtfully and measurably embedded. Changing our systems to mitigate the impacts of racism and the disproportionate burdens faced by children of color—such as higher rates of economic hardship and increased exposure to traumatic events—can have lifelong impacts that reach across all aspects of our society.  The report includes a series of proposals to center health equity in health system transformation.

The HUSKY Eligibility Manual for children and families is a tool created by ‘Covering Connecticut’s Kids and Families’, a state-wide coalition of organizations enrolling Connecticut families in the HUSKY program since 1999. It is designed to serve as a reference for advocates, providers, outreach workers, and community-based organizations who work with families.

While the status quo state budget plan approved by policymakers did not offer many bold new investments in children and families, other policy changes approved during this year’s legislative

The state’s final biennial budget for Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021 could be characterized as a status quo budget.

This series of fact sheets explains how Connecticut’s HUSKY Health programs benefit a wide range of the state’s residents.

While the state budget proposals by the General Assembly protect many programs that serve children and families from budget cuts, rigid and counterproductive budget rules are starving schools, infr

Connecticut’s long-term fiscal health and economic growth depend on policies that improve equity and support our most vulnerable families and children.