blog post Federal Work Requirements Are Changing for Some CalFresh Participants By Tess Thorman, Caroline Danielson Jul 12, 2023 Recent changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—known as CalFresh in California—alter how employment affects eligibility for some participants. We examine what these changes might mean for CalFresh participants as well as for state and local policymakers.
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.
Fact Sheet Student Achievement on California’s K–12 Assessments By Iwunze Ugo, Emmanuel Prunty Jun 27, 2023 The results from California’s 2022 Smarter Balanced Assessments suggest that pandemic disruptions to K–12 education reversed nearly six years of academic progress. Declines in proficiency were widespread, but there was substantial variation across grade levels and demographic groups.
blog post Improving Lives through Public Policy By Tani Cantil-Sakauye May 16, 2023 President and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye reflects on the role that PPIC’s independent, nonpartisan research plays in helping to improve Californians’ physical, educational, and economic well-being.
blog post Pandemic-Era CalFresh Expansions Lifted Many Families Out of Poverty By Patricia Malagon, Tess Thorman May 2, 2023 Policy changes made during COVID broadened access to food assistance and increased benefit levels. We examine the impact on California families’ financial well-being.
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.
video Inflation in California By Ashlyn Perri May 1, 2023 The word “inflation” has popped up everywhere in the past few years. What does it mean and why does it matter? Our new video looks at the causes of inflation—including during the pandemic—and discusses what higher prices mean for the daily lives of Californians.
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.
blog post Midway through California’s Extended Tax Season, Low-Income Filers Are Claiming Larger State Credits By Tess Thorman Apr 19, 2023 As of the end of March, the state had already refunded more dollars than in previous years to low-income tax filers through the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) and the Young Child Tax Credit.
blog post As Medi-Cal Enters a Post-Pandemic Phase, Keeping Eligible Californians Enrolled Is a Key Concern By Caroline Danielson, Shannon McConville Apr 11, 2023 Following a three-year pause during COVID, California counties are restarting annual eligibility reviews for the Medi-Cal program. Some who lose Medi-Cal will become uninsured, likely leading to a small but notable increase in poverty in the state.
