blog post The Digital Divide Has Narrowed but Still Affects California’s Children By Paulette Cha, Niu Gao Aug 10, 2021 California has made progress over the past year, but many children—particularly those in low-income families—still lag behind their peers in technology access.
blog post In El Dorado County, Early Preparation and Communication Were Key to the Return to School By Laura Hill, Mary Severance Jul 23, 2021 We talked with Dr. Ed Manansala, superintendent of schools for El Dorado County, about how his mostly rural districts weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and handled the return to in-person instruction.
blog post Tax Hurdles May Limit Impact of the Expanded Child Tax Credit By Caroline Danielson, Tess Thorman Jul 1, 2021 The one-year expansion of the federal Child Tax Credit could reduce child poverty in California by a third. But the actual impact of this expanded credit depends on how many eligible families claim it.
Report California’s Safety Net in Recession and Recovery By Caroline Danielson Jun 3, 2021 As California emerges from the COVID-19 shutdown, the social safety net can play a key role in facilitating an equitable recovery. Evidence from the last recession and recovery shows that safety net programs do grow in response to increased need. But the state can take additional steps to deliver benefits more effectively and equitably.
blog post Food Insufficiency and School Meals during COVID-19 By Caroline Danielson, Niu Gao, Patricia Malagon May 24, 2021 Despite closures, California schools have been a key source of food for low-income students during the pandemic.
blog post A Year into Distance Learning, California’s Digital Divide Persists By Niu Gao, Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill May 13, 2021 Although more K–12 students now have access to computer devices compared to last spring, disparities in internet access generally have not narrowed in the past year.
Report Distance Learning Strategies in California Schools By Niu Gao, Laura Hill, Julien Lafortune Apr 14, 2021 Learning gaps are a growing concern after a year of online instruction. During the pandemic, uneven distribution of resources may have widened gaps and led to learning loss for some students. Our survey outlines how California school districts addressed remote learning and their strategies to improve instruction in the 2020–21 school year.
blog post How the Expanded Child Tax Credit Reduces Child Poverty By Tess Thorman, Patricia Malagon Mar 23, 2021 The recently enacted federal COVID-19 relief package includes a one-year expansion of the Child Tax Credit. This could cut child poverty in California by about one-third, with the estimated effect varying across regions.
blog post Testimony: Access to Anti-Poverty Programs for Californians in Need By Sarah Bohn Mar 17, 2021 In legislative testimony, PPIC’s Sarah Bohn discussed the economic effects of the current downturn and the role of safety net programs in addressing poverty and related challenges.
blog post Multiple Challenges for Women in the COVID-19 Economy By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Mar 11, 2021 The pandemic and resulting economic downturn have had a disproportionate effect on women, many of whom must balance work, caregiving responsibilities, and health concerns.