Children’s development and family financial stability are inextricably linked. The 2Gen approach is designed to support improved child and family outcomes. Low-income working families with young children may experience benefits cliffs and other structural financial barriers that can challenge career advancement and economic self-sufficiency.

The Atlanta Fed’s Advancing Careers initiative conducts research on benefits cliffs and structural barriers to career advancement and develops tools to support community and state efforts to improve economic security for families and meet the talent needs of businesses for a healthy economy. This is accomplished by working directly with stakeholders to define the challenges and partnering on efforts to analyze and develop solutions. There are a number of efforts in development in Florida to address benefits cliffs and other barriers to economic mobility.

Brittany Birken from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta will present on the 2Gen approach, the Advancing Careers initiative, and highlight partnership efforts in Florida.

About the Speaker

Brittany Birken serves as a principal adviser on the Atlanta Fed’s Community and Economic development team. In this role, Birken specializes in the identification of structural barriers and solutions to career advancement for low-income working families. Prior to joining the Atlanta Fed, she was a faculty member at the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center, which develops programs focused on creating educational systems that support student achievement of critical milestones that predict success. She has also served as the director of Florida’s Office of Early Learning and as chief executive of the Florida Children’s Council, the umbrella organization for children’s services councils statewide. Birken has worked with business leaders and policymakers to develop strategies that support pathways to economic security and improved outcomes for low-income working families with young children. Additionally, she has helped shape community and state policy efforts that support the current workforce and develop a sustainable educational infrastructure for talent development. Birken is a gubernatorial-appointed board member and chair of the strategic performance and policy council for CareerSource Florida, serves on the advisory council for the Orlando Economic Partnership Foundation, and is a member of Leadership Florida. She holds a PhD from Florida State University.

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