GOAL: Community members learn skills to become financially independent.
SUCCESS STORY
A family child care provider from Wisconsin Rapids has received Good Start Grants (GSG) to help families in her care pay for child care:
“I have a few families who have benefited greatly from Good Start Grants, including one family who suffered a small house fire. The grant helped them stay on their feet while waiting for the damage to their home to be repaired. The family also has a special-needs child who is not able to attend school. Most families budget for the first four years of childcare with the fifth year the child starting school. The GSG helped this family stay afloat financially due to the additional childcare expense. Another family had one of the parents hours cut just enough to pay most of their bills, but too much to afford childcare. Good Start Grants help a lot of parents who earn too much for assistance from Wisconsin shares, but can’t afford quality child care.
LOCAL RESULTS
- Less than 1/3 of Wisconsin’s struggling households have emergency savings.
- United Way brings community members together to share resources and make a greater impact through coalitions – the Financial Stability Coalition helps educate community members through quarterly informational newsletters.
- Over 40 coalition partners shared information about fraud and financial scams in 2023.
- Basic financial education is necessary to reach financial stability and independence.
- United Way’s Financial Stability Coalition established the Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl event, driving student interest & engagement in financial education.
- 84 United Way’s Financial Stability Coalition established the Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl event, driving student interest & engagement in financial education.
- $2,422 was the average return received by individuals in south Wood County who filed for free with MyFreeTaxes in 2024.
- 2,391 hours of quality child care were provided through a partner program in 2023 allowing parents to remain employed.
- 914 students with financial need received free school supplies through Stuff the Desk in 2023.
- Over 100 volunteers made in impact through Stuff the Bus/Desk, Finance & Investment Challenge Bowl and the Financial Stability Coalition in 2023.
Source: Financial Stability Coalition, United Way of South Wood & Adams Counties, Financial Stability Coalition
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
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ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed. The ALICE Report is a means to define and understand the individuals and families working hard but not earning enough to afford basic living needs
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35% of Wood County and 44% of Adams County households are struggling – despite most of these households earning income above the Federal Poverty Level. Working, yet unable to afford all essentials or save for emergencies, we term these households ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
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With rising healthcare costs, seniors are the largest growing segment of ALICE households. 39% of Wood County seniors and 47% of Adams County seniors live below the ALICE threshold
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Unable to save, ALICE households may be one unexpected expense or emergency away from spiraling into poverty
Source: United Way of Wisconsin ALICE Report 2018, Financial Stability Coalition, Financial Stability Coalition