Families and Communities: Strengthening America's Working Families

$500 Per-Child Tax Credit -- 27 million families with 45 million children are receiving the $500 per-child tax credit.

Tax Cuts for Working Families -- 15 million working families receive additional tax relief through the President's expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit. In 1998, the EITC lifted 4.3 million people out of poverty - double the number lifted out of poverty by the EITC in 1993.

Protecting Families -- Family and Medical Leave allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for seriously ill family members, new born or adoptive children, or their own serious health problems without fear of losing their jobs. Nearly 91 million workers (71% of the labor force) are covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act and millions of workers have already benefited from FMLA since its enactment.

Largest Five-Year Drop in Child Poverty Rate Since the ‘60s -- Under President Clinton, child poverty has declined from 22.7 percent to 18.9 percent -- the biggest five-year drop in nearly 30 years.

Increased the Minimum Wage from $4.25 to $5.15 per hour -- increasing wages for 10 million workers.

Enacted the Workforce Investment Act -- reforming the nation's employment and training system by empowering individuals, streamlining services, enhancing accountability and increasing flexibility.

Passed the Landmark Work Incentives Improvement Act -- allowing people with disabilities to maintain their Medicare or Medicaid coverage when they go to work. It also includes a $250 million demonstration, which the President insisted on fully funding, that allows people with disabilities who are still working and are not yet sufficiently disabled to qualify for Medicaid to buy into the program. The President had advocated for passage of this bipartisan bill since 1998.

Signed the Landmark Adoption and Safe Families Act - 36,000 foster care children were adopted in fiscal year 1998, up from 28,000 in 1996. This is the first significant increase in adoption since the national foster care program was established nearly 20 years ago.

Enacted the Foster Care Independence Act -- ensuring that young people leaving foster care will get the tools they need to make the most of their lives by providing them better educational opportunities, access to health care, training, housing assistance, counseling, and other services.

Putting Families First -- put in place first-ever plan to protect our children from tobacco. Required the installation of V-chips in all new televisions. Encouraged schools to adopt school uniform policies to deter school violence and promote discipline. Produced guidelines on religious expression in public schools.

Supporting Community Service -- In just five years, AmeriCorps has allowed 150,000 young people to serve in their communities while earning money for college or skills training.

Building One America -- established the President's Initiative on Race to lead the nation towards becoming One America in the 21st Century. In FY99 budget, won first real increase in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in several years.

Last Updated December 1999

The Clinton-Gore Economic Record

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