Report Supporting Student Parents in Community College CalWORKs Programs By Shannon McConville, Sarah Bohn, Bonnie Brooks Oct 14, 2020 All community colleges run support programs for students who receive CalWORKs, the state’s cash assistance program for poor families with children. Students do better when enrolled in these support programs, but completion rates are low. How can colleges help more CalWORKs students succeed?
Report California’s Welfare Recipients: Family Circumstances, Income, and Time on Aid among CalWORKs Families By Caroline Danielson May 8, 2012 What does a typical CalWORKs family look like? This report provides key details on some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.
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.
Fact Sheet California’s Cash-Based Safety Net By Caroline Danielson May 1, 2023 Safety net programs that provide cash assistance help low-income Californians meet their basic needs. State and federal tax credits reach a large number of people, while programs that offer monthly payments provide a higher level of support to participants. This assistance keeps millions out of poverty—but not all who are eligible are enrolled.
blog post Video: Supporting Student Parents in Community College CalWORKs Programs By Stephanie Barton Nov 4, 2020 PPIC’s Bonnie Brooks and Shannon McConville discuss new research on how programs at California community colleges help support the economic mobility of CalWORKs student parents.
Occasional Paper, Report Patterns of Work Participation in CalWORKs By Caroline Danielson Dec 12, 2006 This Occasional Paper examines data for the period 2001-2004 submitted by states as evidence of their compliance with federal requirements in order to gain insight into the portion of the CalWORKs caseload required to participate in federally-approved activities, and especially those not meeting work participation requirements. It focuses solely on the single-parent caseload.
Report CalWORKs in Transition By Caroline Danielson Mar 20, 2012 In recent years, California policymakers have made a number of cuts to major safety net programs to help balance the state budget—even as hard economic times have meant that increasing numbers of Californians are relying on government assistance. The California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program (CalWORKs) has been one of the most affected.1 Since 2009, CalWORKs has seen a number of cuts, some intended to be short-lived, and others that, arguably, are reshaping the program piece by piece. In his January 2012 budget proposal, Governor Brown advocated significant additional cuts. These recent and proposed changes raise questions about the program’s goals going forward.
blog post How Did the Pandemic Transform California’s Safety Net? By Caroline Danielson Mar 11, 2022 Government investments and service innovations reduced the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The impact of these approaches can inform safety net policy beyond the pandemic.
