1. Ending Child Poverty
Children’s Advocates’ Roundtable March 21, Michele Stillwell-Parvensky

2. Child Poverty in California
According to the California Poverty Measure (a more accurate measure of poverty) in 2015:
21.6% of children (2.1 million) were poor
4.7% of children were in deep poverty (at less than half the poverty threshold)
46.0% of children were poor or near poor

3. Children of Color Are Disproportionately Poor

4. Impacts of Growing Up Poor
Gaps in cognitive skills that can be seen in early childhood and continue to widen with age
Toxic stress that negatively impacts brain functioning for life
Jeopardizes children’s health and their ability to learn in school
All of these disadvantages compound and produce lifetime negative consequences. Children who grow up poor are:
less likely to graduate from high school
less likely to find a well-paying job
more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system
Fuels the intergenerational cycle of poverty as poor children are more likely to be poor as adults

5. The Safety Net Works
Safety net programs play a key role in reducing poverty
Without programs like CalFresh, the federal and state Earned Income Tax Credit, CalWORKs, child tax credit, and school meals, 1.3 million more children would be poor and the percentage of children in deep poverty would be doubled.

6. CalWORKs Supports 860,000 children with modest monthly cash grants
CalWORKs supports about 860,000 children throughout the state by providing families with modest monthly cash grants, while helping parents overcome barriers to employment and find work. 

7. If grant levels had been adjusted for inflation each year beginning in , the maximum grant in would be $983, which is $269 higher than the proposed value of $714. Because policymakers have not restored the value of CalWORKs grants, the purchasing power of the maximum grant will be 27% lower than in  

8. In 2008, the value of this grant dropped belowthe deep-poverty line
In 2008, the value of this grant dropped belowthe deep-poverty line. Absent a significant grant increase in the fiscal year, this grant will equal just 41.2% of the poverty line, leaving it below the deep-poverty line for the eleventh straight calendar year.

9. SB 982 (Mitchell) Ends childhood deep poverty in CalWORKs
Sets a floor for grants at 50% of the federal poverty level
Protects children from the worst harms of chronically unmet basic needs
Children in deep poverty suffer worse outcomes, even compared to other poor children

10. CalEITC
Provides a tax credit to up to 1.9 million low-income working families

12. AB 2066 (Stone and Reyes)
Extends the CalEITC to low-income working Californians who are currently excluded:
Working young adults age 18-24
Working seniors over age 65
Working immigrant families who file taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
Makes the credit more inclusive and equitable
Provides an income boost to working Californians who are struggling to get by

13. Thank you! Michele Stillwell-Parvensky msp@childrensdefense.org
Children’s Defense Fund – California