Connecticut Association for Human Services

Cahs coordinates a network of community-based volunteer income tax assistance (vita) sites to provide free tax preparation and access to the federal and state earned income tax credits (eitcs) and federal child tax credit. In 2022, cahs coordinated 425 volunteers at 52 sites. The sites filed tax returns with $13 million in federal refunds and credits for 10,198 households. Cahs also provided asset-building Services to help families move out of poverty, serving 2,054. This is our most important program work at the moment. Cahs works with returning citizens (from incarceration) to become established in the community. 229 persons were served. Cahs sends out timely information and legislative updates to the family economic success and early childhood listserv.

Early care and education and two-generation strategies and education, including child care - cahs promotes quality early care as a two-generational approach to end poverty - it keeps parents working and prepares children for success in school and life. Cahs provides technical assistance to Connecticut's two-gen and early childhood daycare programs and promotes systems change. Cahs serves as the fiscal agent to the Connecticut early childhood alliance, an organization in which cahs plays a leadership role. Our service reaches 1,600 individuals who have signed up to receive updates and action alerts via our early childhood listserv.

The commission on women, children, seniors, equity and opportunity (cwcseo), one of the agency's fiscally sponsored programs, is a non-partisan arm of the Connecticut general assembly. The commission researches best practices, coordinates stakeholders, and promotes public policies that are in the best interest of Connecticut's underserved and underrepresented women, children and older adults.

Keep the promise, one of the agency's fiscally sponsored programs, is a coalition of advocates (people living with mental illness, family members, mental health professionals and interested community members) dedicated to ensuring that a comprehensive community mental health system is created and sustained across the lifespan of persons with mental health needs.

Advocacy: we advocate for improving outcomes in the areas of learning, health, safety and economic security, for children ages birth to eight so that all children in Connecticut enter kindergarten healthy, eager to learn, and ready for school success. We do this in conjunction with the Connecticut early childhood alliance, an unincorporated entity that is fiscally sponsored by act. We also advocate for issues related to hiv/aids, healthy sexual health and harm reduction practices aimed at substance use reduction and safe syringe exchanges.