NEWS & OPINIONS
Coronavirus And Its Teachable Moments
This too shall pass. At times, it may not feel like it, but the fact is that these are moments in time. We are a resilient people. We are going to get through this—and we actually are getting through this. When chaos happens we learn things about ourselves. Sometimes...
What Does The 2020 Stimulus Package Mean? | VIDEO
What's in the coronavirus stimulus bill and what does it mean for Georgia families and small businesses? GCO's Vice President of Public Policy, Buzz Brockway, went live on Facebook to answer that question and talk about what is next.
Community Is Happening Despite Social Distancing
As our communities, state, country, and even the world face unprecedented times because of the COVID-19 virus, one thing remains constant: community. It's true that because of mandates on social distancing, physical gatherings are being discouraged. This may make some...
Strengthening Family – Making The Most Of This Time Together
It’s an unprecedented time across Georgia, America, and the world as we all grapple with Coronavirus. As schools and daycare centers shut their doors to prevent further spread, millions of parents are faced with a new way of life, alone at home with the kids all day....
Property Confiscation And The Risk Of Discrimination
We need to discuss an underlying issue around the topic of civil asset forfeiture and why there is need for strong oversight and transparency. We have discussed what civil asset forfeiture is in a previous blog post but here is a reminder: Civil asset forfeiture is a...
Did You Know Your Property Can Be Taken Without A Conviction?
Knowing what civil asset forfeiture is and what you can do if you are a victim of it Let’s talk about a topic that doesn’t roll off the tongue or come up in casual conversation - civil asset forfeiture. We here at the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) just...
The Value of Sung and Unsung Heroes
As we celebrate, Black History Month, I’m reminded of the 1993 song written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff entitled “Hero”. The words to the chorus went like this: “And then a hero comes along With the strength to carry on And you cast your fears aside And you...
You Don’t Have To Be African American In Order To Appreciate Black History Month!
As I reflect on Black History Month, I remember when I first started working at the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO). Randy Hicks, GCO President and CEO, and I entered into a discussion about African American families. In reality, it should be called more of an...
Recognizing Black History Month Is About Recalling Where We Came From
Seeing Black History Month through the eyes of 114-year-old Gertrude Baines To celebrate Black History Month, let me take you back to November 2008. The morning of the election—an election that would make history with the victory of Barack Obama, first...
Let’s make Georgia the best state to be a foster child
We can’t create flourishing communities without flourishing families—and foster care and adoption are crucial parts of achieving that goal. An alarming 97 percent of kids who age out of the foster care system without a stable connection to a family end up in chronic...
Paid Family Leave Discussion – Establishing Healthy Lifelong Attachments
We know that healthy relationships and successful family formation are crucial to walking the steps of the Success Sequence. Strong families help individuals and children flourish. And we know that time with children, especially in their early years, is crucial to...
Three ways that Georgia lawmakers can immediately help the impoverished
Georgia lawmakers are back in town, kicking off the 40-day 2020 session on Monday. While the General Assembly is set to consider a range of issues—tax cuts, OK’ing the state’s budget, healthcare, and more—here are some immediate ways that lawmakers can help those in...
MEDIA MENTIONS
Inflation is running wild — poor and low-income Americans will be hurt the most | QUAD CITY TIMES
How can we help working families the most? Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour is a popular solution, but it’s a short-sighted one given the reality that inflation — the silent assassin of Americans’ livelihoods, particularly for the poor — is now running the...
Gov’t. check can’t beat work’s dignity | AJC
Jobs provide dignity and purpose to people’s lives and contribute to community flourishing in ways that can’t be measured by monthly employment reports.
Biden’s ‘Illusions Of Economic Magic’ Fail The Forgotten American | DAILY CALLER
In a very different time — yet in similar economic straits — then-presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke of the “forgotten man,” the American left behind by seismic trends and sweeping changes beyond his control. “These unhappy times call for the building...
Joining Forces to Get Our Neighbors Employment Ready | SAPORTA REPORT
In tandem with finding stable employment, many caregivers and heads of household are dealing with trauma and other socioemotional challenges. That is where Families First comes in. We have developed a screening tool to assess resiliency, a person’s ability to get back...
Kemp signs school-choice expansion bills in Georgia | WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Gov. Brian Kemp signed a trio of bills Thursday to expand education options in Georgia. Senate Bill 47 expands the state's Special Needs Scholarship program to students with 504 Plans. The program offers scholarships for students with individualized education plans to...
Kemp signs school-choice expansion bills in Georgia | CENTER SQUARE
Gov. Brian Kemp signed a trio of bills Thursday to expand education options in Georgia. Senate Bill 47 expands the state's Special Needs Scholarship program to students with 504 Plans. The program offers scholarships for students with individualized education plans to...
Foster children, homeless students to get free tuition in Georgia | JOHNSON CITY PRESS
Foster children and students who are identified as homeless will be able to attend Georgia public universities and technical colleges for free, starting July 1. Senate Bill 107 was part of a legislation package signed Monday by Gov. Brian Kemp aimed at improving the...
Georgia nonprofit joins coalition pushing to use federal aid to expand broadband access | CENTER SQUARE
A Georgia nonprofit is among a group of organizations calling on state lawmakers to prioritize improving internet access with federal relief money. The Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) joined a coalition of 13 other organizations across the country urging state...