Income Policy and Solutions

A boost in income can make all the difference to families living on the edge of financial insecurity. It can help address a crisis or a critical need, or make it possible to pursue pathways to a better job. It allows parents to give their kids a brighter start or care for an older family member. Increasing people’s income is a direct and proven effective way to provide financial stability and open opportunities to get ahead. 

Low-wage work often doesn’t pay enough to sustain Maine families, and can make it almost impossible to seize opportunities for a brighter future. According to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, 38 percent of Maine people are not able to earn enough to cover basic necessities, such as food, housing, transportation, health care, or child care. That number increases to 46 percent for households with children–almost half of Maine families with kids are struggling to meet their basic needs. In addition, Black and Brown families across the U.S. are more likely to be living in poverty because of systemic discrimination, and Maine is no exception. Our economic security programs should be fair and effective, and provide equal opportunities to all.

People contribute to our economy and communities in many ways and we all deserve the freedom and dignity that comes with economic stability. Maine Equal Justice advocates for policies that increase income for families so they can meet their basic needs and thrive. We’re working for an inclusive economy where everyone is able to participate, including in the “care work" that is often unpaid–but so necessary for the health, welfare, and protection of all of us.

Maine Equal Justice supports legsilation to improve the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, designed and drafted in collaboration with the ASPIRE Leadership Team, a group of current and former TANF-ASPIRE participants working to improve the these programs. 

LD 1877, An Act to Reduce the Number of Children Living in Deep Poverty in Maine will modernize Maine’s TANF program, making it possible for more families to access job supports and increasing grant amounts to meet their needs. 
Maine parents and kids deserve a shot at long-term economic stability and opportunity. By increasing grant amounts and allowing more families with very low incomes to access TANF support, LD 1877 can significantly reduce child poverty.

Read more about LD 1877 in our fact sheet!

Maine lawmakers have shown strong bipartisan support for strengthening TANF/ASPIRE as a way to reduce poverty, increase economic opportunity for families, and bolster our workforce. These bipartisan solutions offer real reform based on data and the needs of Maine people with low incomes.

One of these bills was An Act to Reduce Child Poverty by Leveraging Investments in Families Today (LIFT), which in 2017 gave the first TANF increase in 16 years and provided for annual indexing of benefits, increased access to housing and heating supports for families with low-income, and increased access to post-secondary education to high wage, in-demand jobs through the Parents as Scholars Program (PaS). 

In 2018, the legislature passed LIFT 2.0, which created the Higher Opportunity to Pathways to Employment (HOPE) program. HOPE provides access to post-secondary education for families by helping with necessary supports for parents going back to school like child care and affordable housing. 

Build Hope

The Build HOPE Project, launched by Maine Equal Justice at the start of 2022, has granted flexible funds to nearly 500 parents pursuing postsecondary education as a pathway to economic security. In 2024, led by the expertise of Drs. Luisa Deprez and Sandra Butler, we released a report that illuminates the complex realities of Maine student-parents who have used the program.

Read the full Build HOPE report

Read an executive summary

The report sheds light on the vital role of Maine programs like the HOPE and PaS in supporting parents with low incomes through their post-secondary education. The study also identifies persistent financial challenges for families, and some targeted policy changes that could help parents complete their degrees.