blog post Keeping Students Fed When School Is Out By Caroline Danielson Jun 8, 2023 The end of the academic year can increase food insecurity for California families that rely on free meals provided at school. Plans to permanently add a second mode of assistance—debit cards that can be used for groceries—aim to help families feed their children when school is out.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Jun 5, 2023 Californians name economic conditions, homelessness, and housing as the most important issues facing the state today. A majority of Californians favor changing state environmental regulations as a way to increase housing affordability.
blog post Kindergarten Enrollment Declines Mask Differences by Age By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty May 18, 2023 Kindergarten enrollment at California’s public schools fell dramatically in 2020–21. Examining the trends for specific kindergarten ages—as well as the impact of transitional kindergarten (TK)—is key to understanding the broader decline in public school enrollment.
blog post California’s Farmworkers and Their Children Are Vulnerable to Food Insecurity By Paulette Cha Apr 25, 2023 Farmworkers—90% of whom are immigrants—have access to a patchwork of food assistance programs. For many, this patchwork does not include all of the nutritional safety net programs that help reduce poverty across the state.
Report Achieving Universal Broadband in California By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao, Darriya Starr, Amy Gong Liu Mar 29, 2023 In 2021, California invested over $6 billion to expand broadband infrastructure, address affordability, and promote digital literacy. This report examines barriers to installing broadband in underserved communities and offers recommendations as the state aims to close the digital divide.
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.
Explainer Is College Worth It? By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Vicki Hsieh, Hans Johnson Mar 8, 2023 Rising college costs and a reluctance to take on debt lead many students and families to wonder if college will actually yield a brighter future with higher earnings and better jobs. In this explainer, we explore whether the benefits of a college degree outweigh the costs.
blog post Are Summer School Programs Reaching Students Who Need Them Most? By Darriya Starr, Niu Gao Mar 3, 2023 Nearly three in ten California students attended summer programs in 2022, on par with the national average. In light of significant disparities in how the pandemic affected learning, we look at participation in these programs and the role new federal and state investments might play in expanding educational opportunities.
blog post California’s Highly Educated Immigrants By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Hans Johnson Jan 30, 2023 Recent immigrants to California are among the most educated residents of the state. More than half of the working-age immigrants who arrived over the past ten years hold a bachelor’s or graduate degree.
blog post California’s Plunging Birth Rates By Hans Johnson Jan 26, 2023 The birth rate in California is at its lowest level in more than 100 years. We examine what is driving this trend and discuss some of the implications for our state’s future.
