WHAT DOES ALICE STAND FOR?
ALICE is an acronym that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
ALICE is your child care worker, your parent on Social Security, the cashier at your supermarket, the gas attendant, the salesperson at your big box store, your waitress, a home health aide, an office clerk. ALICE cannot always pay the bills, has little or nothing in savings, and is forced to make tough choices such as deciding between quality child care or paying the rent. One unexpected car repair or medical bill can push these financially strapped families over the edge.
New research shows that in Texas, 4,025,176 households — 42 percent — could not afford basic needs such as housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology in 2016, according to the Texas ALICE Report released today by the United Ways of Texas. In McLennan County, 27 percent of households are ALICE and 17 percent live in poverty, as defined by the Federal Poverty guidelines.
United Way of Waco-McLennan County is working with local partners to assist ALICE individuals and households through community awareness, advocacy, and impact programs. We know many of the people whose lives are impacted by United Way funded programs, are ALICE. Over the next year and ongoing, along with our community and state partners, United Way of Waco-McLennan County will be using ALICE data to inform programmatic and policy solutions for McLennan County households and communities.
