Tell the Colorado State Human Services Board to vote to increase Basic Cash Assistance for Colorado families! Sign our petition by Thursday, July 6th to encourage the State Human Services Board to increase the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) by 10%. Basic Cash Assistance works to break down barriers to family stability and employment by helping participants pay for transportation, housing, childcare, food, and other necessities for people participating in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, also known as Colorado Works. Many people who receive Basic Cash Assistance are living on the edge of homelessness, with over 12% actively experiencing homelessness with their children while participating in the program. We can do better to support these families. The average Basic Cash Assistance amount is $462 per month for a household with one adult and two children. With rising cost of living in our state, the State Department of Human Services has proposed increasing Basic Cash Assistance by 10 percent, or an average of $46 per month. Basic Cash Assistance has not increased in Colorado since 2009, but the cost of child care alone increased 21 percent between 2007 and 2014 according to a 2016 report by the Colorado Children’s Campaign. Colorado ranks third in highest cost of infant care in the nation, making it extremely difficult for families working to regain stability to do so under the current allotted amount. The proposed increase will help the most vulnerable Coloradans avoid falling even further behind. Research shows that when families’ income increases, children’s education and health outcomes and future earning capacity improve dramatically. Don’t wait! Sign the petition to the Department of Health and Human Services today. One of our partner programs, Center for Work Education and Employment, recently had Participant Antoinette Weed share her story with us on increasing Basic Cash Assistance. Watch her video below. | 
