Fact Sheet Poverty in California By Sarah Bohn, Caroline Danielson, Sara Kimberlin, Patricia Malagon Oct 18, 2023 With the end of many pandemic relief programs, poverty rates—especially for children—have gone up in the last two years.
Report Child Poverty and the Social Safety Net in California By Caroline Danielson, Sarah Bohn Sep 29, 2014 Because economic hardship is associated with a host of adverse outcomes, particularly for children, policies that can give children a better start in life are especially important. This report focuses on measuring material hardship among children across the state. Using the California Poverty Measure—which accounts for both family earnings and safety net resources and adjusts for work expenses and housing costs—we find that one-quarter of California’s children are in poverty. An additional 26 percent of children live in households that are "near poor,” or somewhat above what is often referred to as the poverty line. In short, about half of California’s children are poor or near-poor. Poverty rates, earnings, and the role of safety net resources all vary by region. But most poor children live in "working poor” families, with one or more working adults. And, without resources from the social safety net—which includes the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, CalFresh (California’s food stamp program), CalWORKs (California’s welfare program), and housing subsidies—there would be far more children in poverty throughout California.
Report Reducing Child Poverty in California: A Look at Housing Costs, Wages, and the Safety Net By Sarah Bohn, Caroline Danielson Nov 14, 2017 Nearly a quarter of young children in California live in poverty—a fact that has profound educational, health, and economic repercussions now and in the long term. High housing costs and low wages are key barriers to reducing the prevalence of child poverty. Lawmakers have taken action to address these issues: the minimum wage is slated to increase to $15 an hour by 2022, and recently enacted laws aim to ease the state’s housing crisis.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: The Role of CalFresh in Stabilizing Family Incomes By Caroline Danielson, Tess Thorman, Vicki Hsieh Sep 21, 2022 As policymakers consider ways to strengthen the connections between safety net participation and economic mobility, a better understanding of the job and income instability CalFresh participants face is critical.
Report The Impact of Health Insurance on Poverty in California By Caroline Danielson, Patricia Malagon, Shannon McConville Mar 27, 2023 The Affordable Care Act has helped millions of Californians gain health insurance over the past decade. In addition to improving access to care, the ACA has increased financial well-being. This analysis focuses on the significant contribution of publicly funded health coverage—particularly Medi-Cal—to family resources across the state.
Report California’s Food Stamp Program: Participation and Cost Challenges for the State By Caroline Danielson, Jacob Alex Klerman Sep 16, 2011 California’s food stamp program, known as CalFresh, is a critical piece of the state’s safety net and serves 3.8 million Californians. More than half are children. Yet compared to other states, fewer eligible Californians actually participate, and the state’s administrative costs are higher. Examining historical data from all 50 states, the authors find that ending mandatory fingerprinting of adult CalFresh enrollees would likely increase participation and reduce costs.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Tracking CalFresh Participation among Young Children By Tess Thorman Jul 10, 2023 CalFresh food assistance not only helps prevent hunger among young children but is an effective public investment in long-term health and economic outcomes. About one in three infants receive CalFresh each year. Geographic variation in newborn enrollment suggests that more could be done to help eligible families get support right after childbirth.
Report Rethinking the State-Local Relationship: Social Services By Caroline Danielson Feb 20, 2013 California lawmakers may soon consider realigning some of the state’s largest social safety net programs. Their deliberations are being driven in part by federal health care reform—which will reduce the number of uninsured residents and reshape the county-run health safety net. This report examines federal, state, and local relationships in the social services arena and outlines key issues for policymakers to consider.
Report The Role of CalFresh in Stabilizing Family Incomes By Caroline Danielson, Tess Thorman Sep 21, 2022 CalFresh—California’s largest safety net program—helps mitigate income instability for many low-income families. But those without recent employment often do not experience this stabilizing effect. Additional efforts to automate income reporting and ensure that individuals can access CalFresh as soon as they are eligible could strengthen the program’s reach and impact.
Report The Importance of CalFresh and CalWORKs in Children’s Early Years By Caroline Danielson, Tess Thorman, Sarah Bohn Dec 3, 2020 When a crisis disrupts finances, California families may turn to CalFresh and CalWORKs. About half of children access one or both of these safety net programs by age five. Knowing when children may participate, and for how long, can help policymakers address barriers to access.
