Report California’s Care Workforce By Shannon McConville, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Sarah Bohn Apr 3, 2024 State master plans on the aging population and early learning and care have prioritized workforce expansion and career pathways for care workers who provide key services to young children, older residents, and people with disabilities. A new report outlines current realities and highlights challenges and opportunities in growing this critical workforce.
Fact Sheet Financing California’s Public Schools By Julien Lafortune Nov 29, 2023 K–12 funding has been at record-high levels in recent years, and California’s per student spending is now slightly above the national average. Spending is higher for low-income students, English Learners, and foster youth. However, enrollment declines, rising costs, and the expiration of pandemic funding pose fiscal challenges for school districts.
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.
blog post Mounting Concerns about Safety Net Hospital Closures By Shannon McConville Jun 12, 2023 Safety net hospitals were hit hard by the pandemic, and in its wake some are struggling financially despite a large influx of federal COVID relief funds.
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.
Report COVID-19 Emergency Funding and California’s Higher Education Systems By Jacob Jackson, Kevin Cook, Darriya Starr Nov 16, 2022 Federal dollars offered timely, substantial support to the state’s higher education systems during the worst of the pandemic. Funding for students, online instruction, and social distancing measures made up key spending allocations.
Report Solar Energy and Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley By Andrew Ayres, Annabelle Rosser, Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou ... Oct 25, 2022 Hundreds of thousands of acres of irrigated farmland may come out of production in the San Joaquin Valley in coming decades. At the same time, the state needs to ramp up renewable energy generation to meet climate goals. Could solar development on fallowed land help the valley’s residents? Our new report examines the challenges and opportunities.
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 How Hospital Discharge Data Can Inform State Homelessness Policy By Shannon McConville, Hemal Kanzaria, Renee Hsia, Maria Raven Sep 19, 2022 Discharge data from emergency departments provide information on where people experiencing homelessness go for hospital care and on the conditions for which they are treated. If linked with data from homeless assistance programs and safety net services, this information can help policymakers make targeted investments and evaluate outcomes.
blog post Is SGMA Compatible with Farmland Preservation? By Annabelle Rosser Aug 15, 2022 The implementation of SGMA will prompt land use transitions throughout the San Joaquin Valley, raising questions about how the state's chief agricultural preservation policy - the Williamson Act - will come into play. Many alternate uses are likely to be compatible with the program, while others - namely solar – are more complex.
