Date: 09/04/2013
Final
CDHS on Measuring Economic Well-Being
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY POVERTY REDUCTION TASK FORCE
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04:12 PM -- Presentation on Measuring Economic Well-Being
Julie Kerksick, Deputy Executive Director of the Office of Economic Security, CDHS, introduced herself to the committee and provided a handout (Attachment C). She told the task force about the mission and purpose of the Office of Economic Security. Michael Martinez-Schiferl, Data and Evaluation Analyst, Work Support Strategies, CDHS, introduced himself and gave background information on the Work Support Strategies (WSS) initiative. Ms. Kerksick discussed the WSS initiative and noted that rising caseloads have led to problems administering benefits. She said that her office has made progress in administering food assistance and medical programs and benefits to those in need. She explained that Colorado has one of the lowest participation rates in WSS programs in the country, and that this might be because people are not aware of the program or don't think they are eligible. Senator Kefalas stated that he would like an evaluation of the effectiveness of the tools currently being used for outreach.
13 EOPRTaskForce0904AttachC.pdf
04:26 PM
Mr. Martinez-Schiferl told the task force about a survey of organizations done by CDHS examining different ways to measure economic well-being. He said that the survey posed the following questions: how is economic well-being defined; how is economic well-being measured in terms of data and tools used; and what is done with the data once it is collected. He reviewed the types of responses received, and talked about the child well-being index that is based off of U.S. Census data. Mr. Martinez-Schiferl stated that the information CDHS gathered on economic well-being indicators may assist the task force in developing an economic well-being index.
04:36 PM
The task force and presenters continued to discuss ways to measure economic well-being in terms of stability, highest-level of education, and whether basic needs are being met. Mr. Martinez-Schiferl noted that different organizations use different descriptors for the same kind of scale and this creates difficulty when trying to determine qualifying measures for economic well-being. He talked about the importance of uniformity and the ability to share information organization-wide, and explained the collaboration model used by Boulder County and local community organizations. Senator Marble asked if CDHS partners with faith-based groups. Ms. Kerksick stated that they do not at this time, but that they are open to it. Ms. Kerksick answered questions about the composition of the WSS board of directors. Representative Fields asked if any research has been done on how the program would benefit grandparents who are raising their grandchildren or adults who are taking care of aging parents. Ms. Kerksick stated that her office has not focused specifically on problems faced by these populations. Senator Kefalas asked Ms. Kerksick and Mr. Martinez-Schiferl if either of them read the Legislative Council Staff memo on steps to creating an economic well-being index and opened the floor to public comment.