NEWS & OPINIONS
Health Care Waiver Approvals Are Good News
By Erik Randolph Amidst the noise of the presidential election, the mainstream news media missed a major announcement the prior Sunday that promises to positively impact the lives of many Georgians. The announcement could signal a turning point in the near...
GCO welcomes Jace Brooks as Director of the Gwinnett Workforce Initiative
As a member of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, Jace had worked for years to bring together nonprofits with government resources in the human-services area. All of these efforts went into overdrive when the first case of COVID-19 arrived in Gwinnett County.
Statement from GCO president Randy Hicks on 2020 election results
Election night is over but the most impactful decisions occur in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities.
Op-Ed: It’s time for Georgia to reign in policing for profit
Much needed conversations are happening in recent weeks across Georgia and our nation on policing reforms. One practical area of reform that can’t fall by the wayside is this: It’s time to break the connection between policing and profit.
The Working-Class Welfare Trap: How Policy Penalizes Marriage | NATIONAL REVIEW
Our tax and welfare policies often penalize marriage, trapping too many people in poverty. ...Not surprisingly, these penalties seem to play a role in fueling working-class Americans’ retreat from marriage that we have seen play out over the past three decades. In...
Welfare Cliffs and Gaps: The role health insurance plays in upward mobility
Cody and Estelle are a young married couple living in a suburban neighborhood. Cody has a full-time job and Estelle is a nanny so she can have their daughter with her at work. They make just enough money to pay the rent…
The Best Administrative Structure for Welfare
When someone needs financial help or workforce training from the government, where do they go?
If we just allowed people to navigate federal programs on their own, the average person would be completely overw
We could all use a good laugh right now, right?
We’re excited to announce that comedian and inspirational speaker Michael Jr. will be joining us as a keynote speaker for Breakthrough Online 2020.
New GCO poll: 81% of parents support educational microgrants during COVID-19
The Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) today released the results of a parent opinion poll that found 81 percent of respondents in favor of using federal emergency relief funds to help parents cover some educational costs during the coronavirus pandemic.
How Second Chances Impact Communities
Our communities need to understand and appreciate Kevin and others like him. We must begin to see past our biases and speak life into those who have fallen. The poverty of community is just as important (if not more important) than economic poverty, and the butterfly effect I am describing is always at play either in a positive or in a negative way.
The Top 5 Recommendations to the Feds on Economic Mobility
If you had the opportunity to tell federal agencies what they need to do to help low-income people improve their economic circumstances, what would you tell them?
This is not an arbitrary question. It was formally asked by the current administration in Washington, D.C.
Equitable Options In Education
Since 2016, the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) has demonstrated the existence of welfare cliffs. Now a team of five economists has come to the same conclusion. Welfare cliffs are an unfortunate feature of the American welfare system.
MEDIA MENTIONS
Statement from GCO president Randy Hicks on 2020 election results
Election night is over but the most impactful decisions occur in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities.
Op-Ed: It’s time for Georgia to reign in policing for profit
Much needed conversations are happening in recent weeks across Georgia and our nation on policing reforms. One practical area of reform that can’t fall by the wayside is this: It’s time to break the connection between policing and profit.
The Working-Class Welfare Trap: How Policy Penalizes Marriage | NONPERELE
Our tax and welfare policies often penalize marriage, trapping too many people in poverty. ...Not surprisingly, these penalties seem to play a role in fueling working-class Americans’ retreat from marriage that we have seen play out over the past three decades. In...
UGA grant will help Georgia couples improve relationship skills | KPVI
ATHENS — A team of University of Georgia faculty in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences aims to provide Georgia couples with healthy relationship skills and financial guidance with the help of a five-year, $6.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health...
The Working-Class Welfare Trap: How Policy Penalizes Marriage | NATIONAL REVIEW
Our tax and welfare policies often penalize marriage, trapping too many people in poverty. ...Not surprisingly, these penalties seem to play a role in fueling working-class Americans’ retreat from marriage that we have seen play out over the past three decades. In...
Virtual learning isn’t working. Gov. Kemp, we need your help | THE CHAMPION
Gov. Brian Kemp is in a unique position to help families like mine during one of the most challenging times in our lives. My wife and I have two school-aged children, a son and a daughter. Both are being educated within the Decatur City Schools district. Our son,...
UGA receives $6.2 million grant to provide relationship, financial training | UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
A team of University of Georgia faculty in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences aims to provide Georgia couples with healthy relationship skills and financial guidance with the help of a five-year, $6.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human...
Georgia groups push Kemp for virtual-learning microgrants | WALKER COUNTY MESSENGER
ATLANTA - Several groups are pressing Gov. Brian Kemp to start divvying out small federal grant funds aimed at helping families pay for school supplies, child care and other expenses while their children are taking online classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In...