The RuFES Approach The RuFES Approach

RuFES – created by…

Annie E. Casey Foundation

With assistance from:

Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group

In this session…

Brief Intro: Why RuFES: The AECF perspective?

Quick Overview:The RuFES Framework:

Earn It / Keep It / Grow ItEarn It / Keep It / Grow It • Outcomes for each• Family-focused goals for each

4

Children do well when their families do

well.

Families do better when they live in supportive

communities.

AECF Core Belief

Old economic driversOld economic drivers have lost their engine

New economic drivers are developingo quickly in some placesquickly in some placeso almost imperceptibly slowly in othersalmost imperceptibly slowly in others

Increasingly missing the middlemissing the middle class ChangingChanging spatial realitiesrealities

o The world is flat. The market is global.o Virtual connections are required.

Regional connections are critical Stressed communities (economically, socially) + stressed families => heightened vulnerabilityheightened vulnerability

How Are Rural Communities Doing?

Tough TransitionsTough Transitions

Most families work hard. Most families work hard. Many struggle to get Many struggle to get

aheadahead. Low wages – One in four rural workers make wages that

would not lift a family of four above the poverty level. Multiple Jobs – 25 percent hold multiple jobs, and 50

percent do odd jobs or self provisioning to make ends meet

Environments vary – Some live in struggling communities. Some struggle in thriving communities.

Special obstacles – Limited opportunities. Hard to find appropriate supports. Easy to find predatory practices.

How Are Rural Families Doing?

22%22% of rural children live in families in poverty

27%27% moremore live in working poor families

That means at least one-halfat least one-half of all rural kids live in families that struggle to get by, let alone get ahead.

How Are Rural How Are Rural KidsKids Doing? Doing?

What wouldFamily Economic

Success look like?Families getting by

andand getting ahead today

Building strong financial futures

Contributing to and buoyed by thriving communities

The RuFES Framework

What does it take to increaseincrease Rural Family Economic Success?

Earn It – Increase earnings and income

Keep It – Stabilize financial lives

Grow It – Acquire assets and build wealth in

thriving communities

The whole >> than the sum of the partsQuilted together

With families at the center

Intentional and targeted Remember:Remember: Rising tides don’t lift Rising tides don’t lift leaky boats – assuming you even leaky boats – assuming you even have one!have one!

Earn ItMake work workwork.Make work paypay.

Earn It: Desired Result

Confident, predictable, sufficient earnings and income.

Preparing for first-time employment Readiness to earn. Skills match jobs.Readiness to earn. Skills match jobs.

Landing and keeping a job Links to available jobs. Links to available jobs. Work infrastructure: Work infrastructure: transportation, child care.transportation, child care.

Advancing in career and income Pipelines to better jobs. Pipelines to better jobs. Jobs that are better.Jobs that are better.

Earn It GoalsGoalsMake Workers Ready

Qualifying for a JobE1E1: Job seekers have the basic life skills –

attitudes, behaviors and reliability – to succeed in jobs in their region.

E2E2: Job seekers have the basic workplace skills – communication, language, math and technology – to succeed in jobs in their region.

E3:E3: Job seekers have the education or training diplomas and credentials they need to start on a career ladder in their region.

Earn It GoalsGoals Make Work Work

Landing and Keeping a JobE4:E4: Job seekers connect to pipelines that

effectively route them to employment opportunities in their region.

E5:E5: Workers have a reliable, affordable and efficient means of transport to get to their jobs

E6:E6: Workers have a reliable, convenient and appropriate child and dependent care they need to maintain a job.

E7:E7: People who create full- or part-time self-employment ventures access technical and financial assistance to improve their chances of business success.

Earn It GoalsGoals Make Work Pay

Advancing in a Career E8:E8: Workers hold jobs that pay wages

and offer benefits that support a stable family life.

E9:E9: Workers upgrade their skills and education credentials over time.

E10:E10: Workers advance along a career pathway into better jobs in the region.

Keep ItLower the “high cost of being poor”

Avoid the “money traps”

Keep It – Desired Result Financial stability Families get by and begin to get

aheadEstablishing Financial Health

Get banked. Repair credit. Avoid Get banked. Repair credit. Avoid predators. Financial education linked predators. Financial education linked to critical life events.to critical life events.

Protecting Income / Decreasing Costs Close the gap: Secure all EITC and Close the gap: Secure all EITC and Child Care tax benefits, vouchers and Child Care tax benefits, vouchers and subsidies. Make good subsidies. Make good purchasing choices: Options purchasing choices: Options are available for fairly priced goods.are available for fairly priced goods.

Keep It GoalsGoals Count Every Dollar

Establishing Financial Health K1:K1: Families set short-term and long-term

financial goals, and attain them.K2:K2: Families use reasonably priced services,

accounts and products for their savings, checking and other financial transactions.

K3:K3: Families get loans they need without using predatory lenders.

K4:K4: Families reduce their debt burdens and improve their credit ratings over time.

Keep It GoalsGoals - Make Every Dollar CountProtecting Income / Decreasing Costs

K5K5:: Families file tax returns annually. K6:K6: Families secure all tax benefits for which they

qualify, starting with those that reward work – the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.

K7:K7: Families know about and take full advantage of the wide range of available public and private services that help reduce their cost of living.

K7:K7: Families have ready access to affordable basic goods and services – food, clothing, housing household goods and health care.

Grow ItHelp families help themselves

Grow It: Desired Result Double Bottom Line for Communities and

FamiliesFamilies get ahead. Communities thrive.

Accumulating family assets & building wealth Start and increase savings. Start and increase savings. Purchase and protect assets. Attain Purchase and protect assets. Attain higher levels of education. Prepare for retirement. higher levels of education. Prepare for retirement.

Increasing the value of family assets in the community Homes and businesses are maintained and Homes and businesses are maintained and increase in value. Community economies improve. increase in value. Community economies improve. Charities & endowments thrive. Better Charities & endowments thrive. Better economy keeps people in the community.economy keeps people in the community.

Grow It GoalsGoals Build Family Prospects

Accumulating Family Assets & Building WealthG1:G1: Family members establish a financial cushion by regularly

building their savings over time.G2:G2: Families find, finance at competitive rates, and purchase

quality homes in their communities.G3:G3: Families build retirement-restricted financial assets.G4:G4: Families maintain and retain the value of any owned or

inherited land and property.G5:G5: Children of working families get high-quality pre-K-to-12

schooling, and attain higher education levels that improve their family’s economic status.

Grow It GoalsGoals Build Community ProspectsIncreasing the Value of Family Assets in

the Community G6:G6: Family members increasingly participate in community

activities and hold leadership roles. G7:G7: Family-owned housing stock increases in value

throughout the community.G8:G8: Family purchasing power, productivity and

entrepreneurship strengthens local businesses.G9:G9: Families contribute to charitable causes and

endowments that benefit the community and its people.G10:G10: Families and young people want – and are able –

to stay in, return to, or move to the community.

RuFES Delivery Systems

Desired Result:

Family-centered

Simultaneous

Sustained

Approaches:

Make services accessible to families

Make a “quilt”Avoid unintended

consequences

Thank You!John MolinaroAspen Institute Community Strategies Group jmol@aspeninst.org