Bold ideas for racial & economic justice

Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality expands economic security and opportunity and advances racial and gender equity for everyone in the U.S. through research, analysis, and ambitious policy ideas.

Our Policy Issues

Jobs & Education

Building an inclusive economy that works for everyone requires increasing worker agency and power.

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Health & Human Services

Accessible and inclusive health care and child and family services are essential to strengthening communities and the country. 

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Tax & Income Supports

Income supports—including cash assistance and tax credits—help families meet their basic needs and promote economic mobility.

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Census & Data Justice

In a healthy democracy, every community is fairly counted, represented, and resourced. 

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Latest from GCPI

Press Release, | Jan 11, 2024
Lelaine Bigelow Named New Executive Director of Georgetown Center on Poverty & Inequality

The Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality announced that Lelaine Bigelow—a changemaker and advocate for racial, gender, and economic justice—will serve as the next Executive Director.

Brief, | Nov 15, 2023
Reducing Foster Care Placement Through Equity-Focused Implementation of Family First

All children deserve safety, protection, and the opportunity to thrive. And all families deserve support in their efforts to provide a safe and stable environment for their children. The child welfare system is vital to protecting children—but it has disproportionately failed American Indian and Alaska Native, Black, and Latinx children and families. By prioritizing preventative services, programs, and kinship care funded by the Family First Prevention Services Act, child welfare programs can increase the safety and well-being of children and families and reduce unnecessary family separation and foster care placement. This brief highlights progress made by federal child welfare administrators and outlines additional steps they can take to reduce foster care placement through equity-focused implementation of Family First in 2024 and beyond.

Fact Sheet, | Nov 09, 2023
The ABCs of Advancing Racial Justice in Medicaid & CHIP

Everyone deserves the opportunity to lead a healthy life. But racial and ethnic disparities in the American health system—including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)—block access to quality health care and damage the overall health and well-being of our nation. This fact sheet offers three recommendations to transform Medicaid and CHIP into anti-racist programs.

Brief, | Oct 19, 2023
Administrative Actions for a Family-Centered Child Support Program

All children and their families deserve resources to take care of their needs, regardless of their family structure. The child support program—which obtains and disburses financial support for millions of children and their custodial parents—should improve family economic security. Ensuring regular child support payments are directed to families and eliminating harmful enforcement measures against parents who are unable to pay would help foster child and family well-being. This brief highlights progress made by federal child support administrators and outlines additional steps they can take to build a more equitable child support program in 2024 and beyond.

Report, | Aug 01, 2023
More Lessons Learned From 50 Years of Subsidized Employment Programs: An Updated Review of Models

Subsidized employment is an engine for economic opportunity, stronger labor markets, and healthier communities. It can mitigate structural barriers to work, such as racial discrimination in the labor market, and be adapted and scaled to meet specific worker, employer, and community needs. This report reviews a half-century of evidence on subsidized employment’s power to increase employment and incomes, reduce poverty, and ensure a more inclusive economy for everyone. It is the second edition of a 2016 report, “Lessons Learned from 40 Years of Subsidized Employment Programs.”