AGENDA and MINUTES - Interagency Working Group on Poverty Elimination Meeting, September 18, 2024

Interagency Working Group on Poverty Elimination and Economic Security

Meeting Agenda and Minutes

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

1:00-2:30 PM

Recording

Statutory Members:

Name	Title	Organization	Attendance
Dulce Quintero	Chairperson, Secretary	Illinois Department of Human Services	Represented by Priya Khatkhate
Elizabeth Vogt	Senior Policy Advisor	Illinois Department on Aging	Represented by Jennifer Hebel and Glenda Corbett
Kristi Jones	Deputy Director	Illinois Department of Agriculture	Absent
TBD	TBD	Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity	N/A
Jane R. Flanagan	Director	Illinois Department of Labor	Represented by Elizabeth Garcia
Marc Staley	Deputy Director	Illinois Governor's Office of Management and Budget	Present
Dr. Janice Phillips	Assistant Director	Illinois Department of Public Health	Absent
Jennifer Saba	Chief Education Officer - Operations	Illinois State Board of Education	Present
Alyssa Williams	Assistant Director	Illinois Department of Corrections	Absent

Invited Members:

Name	Title	Organization	Attendance
Emily Mueller	AD of Policy and Research	Illinois Housing Development Authority	Represented by Erik Turner
Carrie Thomas	Deputy Director, Business Services	Illinois Department of Employment Security	Present
Dana Kelly	Chief of Staff	Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services	Present

Administrator:

1. Dulce Quintero, IDHS-Secretary
2. Priya Khatkhate, IDHS-Chief Policy Officer

Guests/Facilitators:

1. Matthew Rodriguez - Facilitator, Institute of Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP)
2. Kaitlin Devaney - Facilitator/Researcher, IRRPP
3. Nancy Toure - Facilitator/Researcher, IRRPP
4. Ryan Thomas - Assistant Secretary for Operations, IDHS
5. Andy Allison - Deputy Director, Strategic Planning and Analytics, Illinois Department of Health and Family Services (HFS)
6. Dorothy Patton - GOMB

Agenda:

1. Welcome/Roll Call - Administrator Priya Khatkhate (3 min)
   • Introduction of IDHS Assistant Secretary of Operations, Ryan Thomas (2 min)
2. Public Comment - subject to written comment in advance (2 min)
3. Approval of Meeting Minutes: June 12, 2024 (3 min)
4. IWGP Housekeeping - Administrator Khatkhate (15 min)
   1. Membership updates
   2. Subcommittee participation
   3. IWGP Annual Report FY24
5. Review of FY25 goals - IRRPP (10 min)
6. Special Presentation (20 min)
   • Opportunities for Data Use and Sharing, Andy (HFS) Allison and Priya Khatkhate (IDHS)
7. Next Steps (5 min)
   • Next meeting - Wednesday, December 18, 2024, 1:00-2:30 PM (invite will be sent)
8. Adjournment

Minutes

1. Welcome/Roll Call - Administrator Priya Khatkhate led the roll call. Five statutory member agencies and three invited member agencies were present. Quorum was declared.
2. Public Comment - subject to written comment in advance; none received.
3. Approval of Meeting Minutes: June 12, 2024 - Dir. Marc Staley moved to approve the June 12, 2024 meeting minutes seconded by Dir. Carrie Thomas. The group unanimously approved the June 12, 2024 meeting minutes with Chief Education Officer Jennifer Saba abstaining since she was only appointed to the IWGP recently and was not a member yet as of the previous meeting.
4. Introduction of IDHS Assistant Secretary of Operations, Ryan Thomas
   • As the Assistant Secretary for Operations, Ms. Thomas oversees the budget, fiscal, operations management including business services, procurement, security and emergency preparedness.
   • Ms. Thomas has established two new offices within IDHS including the Office of Continuous Improvement Office in-charged of operational efficiency and the Office of Clinical Safety which oversees safety in IDHS' state operated facilities.
5. IWGP Housekeeping - Administrator Khatkhate
   1. Membership updates
      1. Former DCEO Deputy Director for Policy Development Planning and Research, Jason Horwitz has moved on to a new role at the Office of the Governor
      2. New member, Ms. Jennifer Saba, Chief Education Officer for Operations at ISBE replacing Krish Mohip
   2. Subcommittee participation - Administrator Khatkhate gave a short refresher on the five pillars of the Commission and asked members to sign up for any subcommittee if they are not yet a member.
   3. IWGP Annual Report FY24 - Administrator Khatkhate informed the group that the report has been published and thanked members for their contributions and support. Len will be sending the report/link to the report to all members so they can post it in their respective agency websites as required under the Intergenerational Poverty Act.
      • Looking ahead to populating the FY25 report, Administrator Khatkhate also suggested for members to start thinking of ways to streamline the process of reporting to avoid time crunch when getting information from each of the member agencies. Members can send ideas to herself or to Len.
6. Review of FY25 goals - Matthew Rodriguez, IRRPP
   1. Pillar 1 subcommittee - Ensure Illinois is Best in Nation for Raising Families
      1. By June 30, 2025, Pillar 1 subcommittee will design and implement a collaborative plan with Pillar 4 to support advocacy efforts to increase the number of high-quality affordable opportunities by:
         1. Identifying the existing high-quality affordable childcare options;
         2. Identifying potential geographical gaps in childcare options; and
         3. Setting goals for a number of childcare options and plan to achieve the goal.
      2. By June 30, 2025, Pillar 1 subcommittee will document various efforts to support the implementation of legislation for State Child Tax Credit approved in 2024. Additionally, the subcommittee will craft an advocacy strategy for federal expansion of this legislation. The advocacy strategy will include, but is not limited to:
         1. Engagement of critical stakeholders both within and beyond the state;
         2. Identification of barriers preventing a federal expansion;
         3. Documentation of chronological steps to navigate and/or eliminate those barriers;
         4. Clear timeline for each chronological step.
      3. By June 30, 2025, Pillar 1 subcommittee - will create and implement an advocacy strategy to increase school meal access. Advocacy plan should include, but is not limited to:
         1. Engagement of critical stakeholders across the state;
         2. Identifying other barriers to school meal access;
         3. Eliminating the reduced-price meal co-pay for breakfasts and lunch for low-income children;
         4. Documentation of chronological steps to navigate and/or eliminate those barriers;
         5. Clear timeline for each chronological step.
      4. By June 30, 2025, Pillar 1 subcommittee will design and implement a collaborative work plan with Pillar 3 subcommittee to create a media toolkit that can be used to broaden the reach of marketing and awareness campaign materials related to WIC, SNAP and summer EBT.
   2. Pillar 2 subcommittee - Stabilize Homes and Communities
      1. By June 30, 2025, Pillar 2 subcommittee will create and implement an advocacy strategy to increase appropriations for permanent supporting housing services and housing subsidies for high-risk populations as outlined in the Home Illinois Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. The advocacy strategy will include, but is not limited to:
         1. Clear appropriations targets at both the state and federal levels with a rationale;
         2. Clear outline of prioritized communities based on increase need;
         3. A timeline of activities in order to draft and implement the advocacy strategy.
      2. By June 30, 2025, Pillar 2 subcommittee will design and implement a collaborative work plan with the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH) to engage in the following:
         1. Build the data infrastructure through supporting state agencies in tracking housing status within mainstream service programs;
         2. Support data matching activities between local Homeless Management Information Systems and applicable databases to identify target populations for housing and services;
         3. Create statewide homeless dashboard to understand population needs and trends;
         4. Explore feasibility and capacity for a Statewide HMIS system.
      3. By June 30, 2025, Pillar 2 subcommittee will produce a summary report on local and federal land use policies and how the loosening of restrictions can increase land availability for affordable housing. This report will be to help inform policy recommendations for local and state-level land use policies across the state.
      4. By June 30, 2025, Pillar 2 subcommittee will produce a report documenting the existence and effectiveness of specialized employment programs focused on reaching individuals experiencing mental health and substance use related crises as well as individuals impacted by trauma and violence. This report will include, but not limited to:
         1. Data on successful models;
         2. Funding mechanisms;
         3. Program outcomes;
         4. Key partners across the state; and
         5. Policy recommendations for continued support.
   3. Pillar 3 subcommittee - Ensure Just and Equitable Access to Economic Security Programs
      1. By June 30, 2025, Pillar 3 subcommittee will design and implement an outreach and awareness toolkit that can be used to broaden the reach of marketing and awareness campaign materials related to WIC, SNAP and Summer EBT.
      2. By June 30, 2025, Pillar 3 subcommittee will plan and host a webinar/convening for organizations, key holders and state legislators to share findings on guaranteed income pilots. This convening will be designed to learn what has worked and what needs to be improved.
      3. Also considering exploration in these areas:
         1. Document a strategic plan to streamline IL resident application for public benefits. This plan will include, but not limited to:
            1. Identification of barriers preventing streamlined process (e.g. data sharing between entities),
            2. Documentation of chronological steps to navigate and/or eliminate those barriers,
            3. Clear timeline for each chronological step.
         2. Document a set of strategic recommendations to accelerate and enhance the effectiveness of notifying IL residents of their eligibility for public benefits. Crafting these recommendations will include, but not limited to:
            1. Engagement of critical stakeholders currently involved with enhancing notification efforts.
            2. Identification of existing barriers to accelerated notification efforts and their consequent solutions.
            3. Consideration of audience to whom recommendations will be submitted.
   4. Pillar 4 subcommittee - Address Barriers to Paid Work, Education, and Advancement
      1. Goal 1 - By June 30th, 2025, Pillar 4 subcommittee will create an in-depth report of existing universal and affordable childcare as well as school-based programs in Illinois. This plan will include, but is not limited to:
         1. Identifying where geographical gaps exist;
         2. Identifying which age group each program serves to identify potential gaps, looking at programming for youth up to age 13;
         3. Identifying which has before and after school programs;
         4. Determine potential gaps that exist which may hinder employment for those who work evenings, weekends and/or overnight jobs.
      2. Goal 2 - By June 30th, 2025, Pillar 4 subcommittee will create a running list of established partnerships with relevant stakeholders, community organizations, policymakers and employers. This list will be used to do the following:
         1. Address findings from in-depth report (above) to create potential policy reforms;
         2. Develop advocacy strategy to improve Illinois' offerings of childcare services;
         3. Identify which partnerships are best aligned to address each identified barrier.
      3. Goal 3 - By June 30th, 2025, Pillar 4 subcommittee will create a report that documents both specific legal barriers that hinder access to employment opportunities along with potential partners who can address existing gaps in legal service provision. This report will include, but is not limited to:
         1. Legal barriers that hinder access to paid work;
         2. Legal barriers to accessing education (by level);
         3. Legal barriers to social advancement, more generally;
         4. Gaps in legal service access;
         5. Available apprenticeships and other programs that may mitigate legal barriers to paid work, education and advancement listed in the report.
      4. Goal 4 - By June 30th, 2025, Pillar 4 subcommittee will create a support plan for the available apprenticeships, work-based learning, and other barrier reduction programs so individuals can learn and train while supporting their family. This plan will:
         1. List the available apprenticeships, work-based learning, and other barrier reduction programs in Illinois by category;
         2. Identify which programs the committee will support and in what way;
         3. Delegate support with a chronological timeline.
   5. Pillar 5 subcommittee - Support Trusted Community Based Providers to Serve the Needs of those In Deep Poverty
      1. By June 30th, 2025, Pillar 5 subcommittee will design and implement a collaborative work plan with key stakeholders to advocate for appropriations to support unpaid family caregivers, in addition to supporting cost of living increases for frontline workers serving those in deep poverty. This partnership plan will outline:
         1. Engagement with the Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition, including having representation from this coalition on the Pillar 5 subcommittee, to amplify the needs and experiences of family caregivers and support appropriations in the FY26 state budget.
         2. Work with IDHS to understand what types of services have/have not received COLAs in the past 5 years and work to rectify disparities in the FY26 state budget.
      2. By June 30th, 2025, Pillar 5 subcommittee will create an integrated network of trusted community providers in Illinois. The element of this network will include, but are not limited to:
         1. Research on best practices on how to add value to providers servicing those in deep poverty.
         2. An established meeting schedule with the providers to discuss needs from the network, share important information and develop a collaborative plan to address needs.
      3. By June 30th, 2025, Pillar 5 subcommittee will provide appropriate feedback to inform the Human Services Equitable Pay Act, including but not limited to:
         1. Narrowing the scope of this legislation (in comparison to the FY24 language).
         2. Identifying problem areas in partnership with IDHS.
         3. Developing a plan for the full Commission to support this Act during the 2025 Legislative session.
7. Special Presentation - Opportunities for Data Use and Sharing, Andy (HFS) Allison and Priya Khatkhate (IDHS)
   • The Intergenerational Poverty Act asks that the IWGP collaborates in sharing and analyzing information and data to understand and address the root causes of intergenerational poverty.
   • There are no appropriations to help establish a data sharing system but there are data already available within agencies that are being collected that could help drive the work forward.
   • Ms. Thomas suggested to think about existing data sharing projects that are underway and related to the Commission goals, and maybe those that come through other interagency works.
   • Administrator Khatkhate suggested that a separate call before the next IWGP meeting could be scheduled for member agencies to share if there are existing data agreements already and what data are being collected and shared.
   • Mr. Andy Allison shared that there are data sharing agreements with IDES and ISBE that are already in the works but there are more that could be.
   • The project with HFS, HHSi2 is a federally funded project, mostly Medicaid dollars but also DHS' TANF and SNAP matching dollars. The purpose is to enable Illinois Health and Human Services to create a holistic view of individuals and their respective family or household by integrating data from disparate sources so that participating agencies can achieve their missions.
   • HFS is in the steering committee/sub-cabinet that oversees the funds to provoke and support data sharing. HHSi2 is with HFS because there is a lot of data at HFS but it does not own the program.
   • The strategies are to present HHSi2 data sharing as a service to HHS agencies, not HHSi2 as a repository of combined data; provoke new HHS data shares; strengthen and main dedicated capacity for priority data shares identified by GO; and enable future data shares.
   • Data matching is called master data management (MDM) which bring data sets together and creates a virtual relational database.
   • The challenge is generating good ideas, what two data sets and for what purpose to match them.
   • HHSi2 is currently working on nursing facility ownership, race and ethnicity identification, ADT evaluation, WIC outreach, prisoner Medicaid portal and support to Child Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative project.
   • IDHS has proposed other ideas for data matching including housing assistance and SNAP, DOC vs SNAP and other benefits, comptroller payments with FCS beneficiaries, among others. The proposed ideas are in the process of evaluating for potential action.
8. Discussion on data matching
   • Ms. Thomas asked if Medicaid data is always part of the data matching or is it the framework matching that could be applied to any data sets. Mr. Allison said it is more of the latter, it is a framework and a service for human service agencies. He added that the human service agencies are looking for data matches beyond the sub-cabinet.
   • Ms. Thomas shared that one of the projects that IDES is working on is through the Office to End and Prevent Homelessness which is piloting the attempts to match IDES' wage records and workforce records with the local HMIS database. It is going to be piloted with Chicago and it is through the Coal Ridge Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF). The pilot will ask basic questions about the labor market experience of people who interact with the homeless response system.
   • Mr. Allison shared a hypothesis he formulated in relation to IWGP's data-related mission which is to measure poverty and its precursors across the life course and intergenerationally. The hypothesis is supposed to motivates future questions but if the group is tracking progress in poverty, there is a need to look at the actual poverty rate at any point in time. There might be a need to monitor precursors i.e. things that matter during childhood, adolescence and adulthood, if they are known, across the life course to maybe project intergenerational impact or to hit a target for poverty reduction.
   • Chief of Staff Dana Kelly agrees that the concept of intergenerationality is important however, the Commission has never had a good way of measuring its own progress. FPL or even the supplemental poverty measures on poverty shift over time can be used but it has a lot of other inputs that are not state policies necessarily. How do you isolate state activities and how do you measure them?
   • Administrator Khatkhate agreed. There is the American Community Survey data (ACS) data which is like the census data that the Commission primarily relies on but it doesn't get to exactly what Ms. Kelly pointed out, what the state is doing, what the state agencies are doing and what the impacts of those programs.
   • Mr. Allison then asked if the group wanted a broad picture of the progress towards the reduction of poverty or its elimination, what would the group want to include as markers or precursors of poverty?
   • Suggestions:
     1. Childhood trauma
     2. Inherited characteristics
     3. Educational attainment at various stages.
     4. Housing stability i.e. ability to maintain stable housing status
     5. Patterns of segregation
     6. Availability of affordable housing
     7. Transfer of family wealth
     8. Where the individual is from
     9. Individual's family background (whether the family is poor)
     10. Available resources to which an individual has access to such goods, jobs, transportation, healthcare institutions, etc
     11. Availability of quality jobs - getting more education and training does not mean increasing the income bracket, it is just an opportunity and not an actual job.
     12. Access to internet, access to a device and knowledge of how to use it to access basic resources
   • Challenges/potential goal related to data:
     1. Figure out how to measure an individual's experience over time i.e. if they are experiencing poverty at one point, will they continue to be at poverty or do the state's interventions have an impact on their experience whether they can shift themselves from experience poverty to no longer experiencing poverty.
     2. Identify the precursors/markers/indicators of poverty; there should already be mechanisms available to track or gain insight or get access to data that can be used to determine if the precursors are increasing or decreasing over time.
     3. Identify mechanisms that measure the interventions developed or implemented as answers to the precursors.
     4. Think about what data matches could be: find data that would help understand these indicators of poverty and figure out how to match these data with data from other agencies and use the matched data to understand progress or propel or operationalize things e.g. IDOR data to identify people who may qualify for SNAP but are not utilizing SNAP.
     5. Identify which markers of poverty are the best ones and have been validated thru researches.
9. Next Steps
   • Mr. Rodriguez and team will research on precursors of poverty that have already been established in literature.
   • Members to look within their respective agencies and see what data are already being shared between and among agencies (data sharing agreements).
   • Members to think of what other data sources might be of particular interest to the IWGP or what other paths does the group want to take that is feasible.
   • Outputs to be submitted to the group on November 21st, 2024.
10. Next meeting - Wednesday, December 18, 2024, 1:00-2:30 PM
11. Adjournment - Dir. Staley moved to adjourn seconded by Dir. Thomas. The group unanimously agreed to adjourn at 1:30 PM.