NOTICES
Oregon Joins National Effort to
Promote Child Tax Credits
This year, significant increases in
federal and state tax credits can put
thousands of dollars in the pockets
of Oregonians.
That’s why the Oregon Child Care
Resource & Referral Network is
working with the National Women’s
Law Center to urge working parents to
file for these credits to lower their taxes
or increase their refunds.
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“No one should pay more than
their fair share of taxes. Last year,
Oregonians missed out on nearly $30
million in federal tax credits because
they didn’t claim them,” said Mary
Nemmers, executive director of the
Oregon Child Care Resource & Referral
Network, a statewide association of 17
programs helping families find child
care. “This year we are encouraging
Oregon families to file and claim their
credits,” said Nemmers.
As a result of the federal increases,
families may be eligible for:
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The federal Child and Dependent
Care Credit, designed to offset
some of the child or dependent care
costs that families incur in order to
work. The maximum value has
increased to $2,100 this year from
$1,440 in 2002. This is the first
increase in more than 20 years.
The federal Child Tax Credit,
designed to help families offset
some of the costs of raising
children. This credit has increased
from $600 per child in 2002 to
$ 1,000 per child this year.
The federal Earned Income Tax
Credit, which helps provide a wage
supplement for low-income
families (those earning less than
$34,692 annually). The maximum
credit has increased from $4,140 in
2002 to $4,204 this year.
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In addition, the value of child care
credits in Oregon also has increased.
The Oregon Child and Dependent
Care Credit increased from a
maximum of $1,440 in 2002 to a
maximum of $ 1,800 in 2003. This year
for the first time, the Oregon Working
Family Child Care Credit, which is
worth up to 40 percent of qualifying
child care expenses, is refundable,
giving more tax assistance to low-
income tax filers. Finally, the Oregon
Earned Income Credit can be as much
as $210 in 2003.
To reach thousands of Oregon
families with information about tax
credits, the network is working with the
Association of Oregon Broadcasters
and its member television and radio
stations to air public service announce
ments during February and March 2004.
In addition, the tax credit campaign
will distribute user-friendly materials in
English and Spanish to local child care
providers, day care centers, and other
area organizations. Free tax help also
is available on the network’s Web site
- www.OregonChildCare.org - or by
calling (toll-free) 1-800-342-6712.
The Oregon Child Care Resource
& Referral Network is a non-profit
association of 17 local child care
resource and referral agencies serving
families, employers, and child care
providers. The network maintains
Oregon’s most comprehensive database
of child care providers to help families
find and choose child care.
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The National Women’s Law Center
is a non-profit organization that has
been working since 1972 to advance
and protect women’s legal rights. It is
supporting tax credit outreach in
Oregon, California, Iowa, Louisiana,
Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, and
the District of Columbia.
February 2004
SOLV Grants Available for
Volunteer Efforts Statewide
SOLV, the statewide volunteer and
community-building non-profit,
recently announced new financial and
staff resources available to volunteer
projects throughout Oregon. These
resources are available through SOLV’s
Project Oregon program, which assists
anyone coordinating a SOLV project
anywhere in the state.
Application forms, timelines, and
other information are available from
SOLV at 1-800-333-SOLV or at
www.solv.org/volsolvcup.shtml. The
first deadline is Feb. 1, 2004, with a
new deadline every two months. As in
the past, the application is short and
user-friendly.
SOLV will have small grants of up
to $250 for project costs, and increased
staff time to assist with project
planning, volunteer recruitment, and
other aspects of projects. It also
provides limited insurance, materials,
and statewide recognition to five
projects each year that receive an award
from Gov. Ted Kulongoski on the steps
of the Capitol.
SOLV’s goal is to support 160
projects around the state in 2004. It also
strives to support new coordinators who
haven’t coordinated volunteer projects
before, and continues to offer Volunteer
Action Training around the state to train
Oregonians to lead their own projects.
SOLV predicts that the combina
tion of intensive staff assistance and
small grants will help volunteer efforts
in a way SOLV hasn’t been able to
provide in the past.
“We’ve doubled the amount of staff
time on this program,” says Neil
Schulman, SOLV outreach coordinator.
“That will mean that we can actively
help plan projects, engage the SOLV
volunteers around the state, and take
some of the load off those organizing
these great efforts at the local level.
Ultimately, SOLV’s help will prove as
valuable as the relatively small amount
of funding.”
SOLV also has reinstated some of
the small grants that existed before
2001. These funds can help pay for on-
the-ground project costs. SOLV will
look at all projects to best allocate both
funds and staff time to actively help out.
Schulman stressed that SOLV
supports a wide range of volunteer
projects. “A lot of Oregonians know
SOLV for organizing cleanups, but
that’s only part of what we do. We help
out with as many tree plantings,
watershed restoration projects,
downtown enhancements, and other
efforts as we do cleanups. A good
SOLV project has three things in
common: it fits in with our mission
of building community through
volunteerism, has an on-the-ground
result that enhances the community, and
is open to all Oregonians from all
backgrounds and walks of life. There’s
plenty of room for Oregonians to decide
what their community needs the most.”
Carry Winter Driving Supplies
Motorists are advised to carry the
following supplies during winter
conditions:
1. A full fuel tank and a good high
way map.
2. Tire chains or other traction devices.
3. An ice scraper, battery booster
cables, road flares, a properly
inflated spare tire, a vehicle jack,
lug wrench, and a basic tool kit.
4. A small shovel and a bag of kitty
litter or sand for traction in case
you get stuck, and a plastic tarp to
help keep you dry while installing
tire chains.
5.
A flashlight with extra batteries and
bulbs, an extra pair of winter gloves
and a warm hat, a change of clothes
and a warm blanket, snack foods,
matches in a waterproof container,
extra quarters for phone calls, a
pocket knife, and a first aid kit.
6. A large thermos bottle filled with
water or a hot drink.
7. A cell phone with fully charged
batteries.
8. If you travel with a baby, pack extra
food, warm clothes and blankets,
some toys and games, and extra
diapers.