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 Exploring the Potential for Water-Limited Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley By Caitlin Peterson, Cameron Pittelkow, Mark Lundy Jul 20, 2022 As irrigated farmland comes out of production in the San Joaquin Valley, valley residents will face increased pests, weeds, and dust—as well as a loss of employment and economic activity. Water-limited cropping is one alternative to fallowing that can improve soil health and air quality, create habitat, and keep land in production.
Report Employment Patterns for CalFresh Adults By Tess Thorman, Caroline Danielson Jul 13, 2022 CalFresh provides food assistance to about 4.5 million low-income Californians. While many adults who access CalFresh are working, their jobs may be temporary or unstable. Understanding changes in employment before, during, and after adults enroll in CalFresh can help policymakers and administrators better align the program with workers’ needs.
blog post How Is California’s Child Care Sector Faring? By Sarah Bohn, Julien Lafortune Jul 7, 2022 Parents are back to work, with the share of employed mothers even higher than it was pre-COVID. But job recovery in the child care sector markedly lags that of the economy overall.
blog post What Do Enrollment Declines Mean for Transitional Kindergarten? By Emmanuel Prunty, Laura Hill Jun 9, 2022 During the 2020–21 school year, transitional kindergarten saw the steepest enrollment decline of any grade level. The largest drops were among African American and Native American children.
event Responding to the Youth Mental Health Crisis Jun 1, 2022 When COVID–19 shuttered businesses and schools, it disrupted the lives of all Californians, especially children and adolescents. What impact has two years of living through a pandemic had on the mental health of our youth—and what can be done to help mitigate the effects? Join PPIC vice president and senior fellow Lande Ajose in a wide-ranging discussion with Alberto Carvalho of Los Angeles Unified School District; Lishaun Francis of Children Now; and Melissa Stafford Jones of California Health and Human Services.
Report Understanding the Effects of School Funding By Julien Lafortune May 18, 2022 Funding for California’s K–12 public schools has reached record highs, but gaps in student outcomes remain. Understanding the benefits of additional funds, and how to distribute those funds, are key concerns for policymakers. This report offers insights from a robust body of research on the extent to which higher spending improves outcomes.
blog post Video: Setting the Stage for Universal Preschool By Vicki Hsieh May 17, 2022 PPIC researcher Emmanuel Prunty presents new findings on access to Transitional Kindergarten (TK) across diverse student groups, and an expert panel discusses how to ensure an equitable expansion of TK.
event Setting the Stage for Universal Preschool May 12, 2022 As the state expands its Transitional Kindergarten program, one key issue is whether access will be equitable. PPIC researcher Emmanuel Prunty will present findings from a new report examining current participation in the program across diverse student groups and districts, and a panel of experts will discuss ways to ensure an equitable expansion toward the goal of closing gaps in school readiness.
blog post Concerned about Costs, Most Californians Support Universal Preschool By Dean Bonner May 11, 2022 An overwhelming majority of Californians say that the affordability of preschool is at least somewhat of a problem. A similar share says the state should fund voluntary preschool programs for all four-year-olds, though views vary across party lines.
