The Family Resource Simulator (FRS) has emerged as a vital online tool, expertly designed to analyze and illustrate the complex landscape of economic supports available to families. Since 2003, the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) has been at the helm of this initiative, continually refining and expanding the FRS to serve as both a sophisticated policy simulation instrument and a practical benefit calculator. This innovative Family Simulator offers customized insights into critical issues such as benefit cliffs and the broader gaps in economic assistance encountered by low to middle-income families and individuals striving for financial stability. Complementing the FRS, the Basic Needs Budget Calculator acts as an essential corollary, estimating the income families require to meet their fundamental expenses within specific counties covered by the FRS.
In August 2021, the FRS received significant recognition when it was selected to participate in Lever for Change’s prestigious Equality Can’t Wait Idea Lab. This platform spotlights exemplary projects, chosen by experts and peers from over 550 submissions, focusing on initiatives that bolster women’s economic empowerment through enhanced public benefit programs. For a concise video overview of the Family Resource Simulator and its capabilities, please click on the image provided above.
The Family Resource Simulator is designed to cater to a diverse range of users, each benefiting uniquely from its functionalities:
For Advocates and Policymakers: The family simulator serves as a powerful advocacy tool, enabling users to effectively demonstrate the real-world impacts of proposed public benefit rule modifications on working families. Program administrators utilize the FRS to rigorously assess the potential consequences of policy adjustments before implementation. Legislators have also leveraged FRS-informed analyses to inform and enact new policies and refine public benefit rules, ensuring they are more responsive to the actual needs of working families. The FRS tool itself can be accessed directly here.
NCCP’s application of the FRS in collaboration with state-level advocates has demonstrably strengthened the economic security for over 4 million individuals annually across at least fourteen states. Improvements to benefit programs, informed by the FRS, have led to tangible benefits such as reduced childcare expenses and increased net earnings for families, achieved through expanded childcare subsidies and tax credits.
For Direct Service Providers: The Family Resource Simulator is an invaluable educational and assistance resource for families navigating the complexities of public benefit programs. FRS-based tools, including the Benefit Cliffs Calculator (also known as the Marginal Tax Rate Calculator – MTRC) and the Career Ladder Identifier and Financial Forecaster (CLIFF), are specifically designed to help financial counselors and public benefit recipients. These tools facilitate the estimation of how new employment or income increases might affect benefit eligibility and overall net resources, crucial for strategic planning to mitigate potential benefit cliffs.
For Families: Tools derived from the FRS, such as the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit Benefit Calculator, developed in partnership with Community Change, are accessible resources for educating low-income families about benefit programs they may qualify for. These user-friendly calculators empower families to understand and access the financial support systems available to them.
For further inquiries regarding the Family Resource Simulator, Seth Hartig, Director of Family Economic Security, can be contacted at [email protected].
