Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

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West Virginia Early Childhood Profile

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State Choices to Promote Effective Parenting

Low-income young children with a parent employed full-time, 2016
Low-income young children with a parent employed full-time, 2016

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Source1

  • Extends Medicaid coverage for family planning to otherwise ineligible low-income women [2018]2
  • Exempts single parents on TANF from work requirements until the youngest child reaches age 1 [FY 2016]3
    The state does not consider these groups technically exempt; however, they may meet the state's criteria for good cause for noncompliance or deferral. This may be taken any time while the child is under 12 months for up to 12 months in the recipientÍs lifetime.
  • Reduces the TANF work requirement to 20 hours or less for single parents with children under age 6 [FY 2016]3
50-State Data   Policy Definitions

State Choices to Promote Family Economic Security

Education levels of mothers with young children, 2016
Education levels of mothers with young children, 2016

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Source1

Maximum annual TANF benefit for a family of three, for FY 2016
Maximum annual TANF benefit for a family of three, for FY 2016

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Source3

  • Established a state minimum wage that meets or exceeds $9.10/hr and is indexed to inflation [2016]4
    $8.75
  • Exempts single-parent families of three below the federal poverty level from personal income tax [2016]5
  • Offers a refundable state Earned Income Tax Credit [2017]6
  • Offers a refundable state dependent care tax credit [FY 2016]7
  • Keeps copayments for child care subsidies below 10% of family income for families of three at 150% FPL [2015]8
  • Offers exemptions and/or extensions of the TANF benefit time limit for women who are pregnant or caring for a child under age 6 [FY 2016]3
    Time extensions are offered to single women who are in month 7 or later of pregnancy and parents caring for a child under 6 months of age.
  • Has paid family leave for a minimum of 6 weeks with partial replacement of wages [2018]9
50-State Data   Policy Definitions
  
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Data Notes and Sources

Last Updated: May 13, 2015

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  1. National data were calculated from the 2011 American Community Survey, representing information from 2011. State data were calculated from the 2009-2011 American Community Survey, representing information from the years 2009 to 2011.
  2. Guttmacher Institute. (2018). Medicaid Family Planning Eligibility Expansions. New York, NY: Guttmacher Institute. Https://www.guttmacher.org (accessed January 3, 2018).
  3. Giannarelli, L., Heffernan, C., Minton, S., Thompson, M., & Stevens, K. (2017). Welfare Rules Databook: State TANF Policies as of July 2016. OPRE Report 2017-82. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.acf.hhs.gov (accessed December 19, 2017).
  4. National Conference of State Legislatures. 2016. State minimum wages: 2016 minimum wages by state. Washington, DC: NCSL. Http://www.ncsl.org (accessed February 18, 2016).
  5. National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), 50-State Policy Tracker. (2016). 50-State Data, Income Tax Liability. http://nccp.org (accessed July 20, 2018).
  6. Williams, E., & Waxman, S. (2018). States Can Adopt or Expand Earned Income Tax Credits to Build a Stronger Future Economy. Washington, DC: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org (accessed June 29, 2018).
  7. National Women's Law Center. (2017). State Child Care and Dependent Care, Tax Provisions, Tax Year 2016. Washington, DC: National Women's Law Center. https://nwlc.org (accessed December 19, 2017).
  8. Schulman, Karen; Blank, Helen. 2015. Building Blocks State Child Care Assistance Policies 2015. National Women's Law Center. Http://www.nwlc.org (accessed November 11, 2015).
  9. National Conference of State Legislatures. (2018). State Family Medical Leave and Parental Leave Laws. Washington, DC: National Conference of State Legislatures. http://www.ncsl.org (accessed July 20, 2018).