Intergenerational Poverty

About Intergenerational Poverty

Utah State University Extension is partnering with the Utah Intergenerational Welfare Reform Commission to assist counties in their efforts to understand and reduce intergenerational poverty. The driver for this effort is the Intergenerational Poverty Mitigation Act, passed originally by the Utah Legislature in 2012.

Members of the commission include the Utah Lieutenant Governor; the executive directors of the Department of Workforce Service, Department of Human Services, and Department of Health; the superintendent for the Utah State Board of Education; and the administrator for the Juvenile Courts. DWS was designated as the administrative agency for the Commission and is responsible for producing the Intergenerational Poverty Annual Report. A link to the reports is found in the Related Resources dropdown.

Meaningful steps to address persistent poverty in Utah will require community-level energy, innovation, and initiative. USU Extension and members of the commission have created several resources to help counties organize effective community initiatives. Use the link below to access the online modules.