skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Safety Net Programs Curb California's High Child Poverty Rate

play audio
Play

Thursday, February 26, 2015   

OAKLAND, Calif. - One in four California children is living in poverty, but according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, those numbers would be much higher without federal safety net programs and tax subsidies.

The report, Measuring Access to Opportunity in the United States, uses a new tool developed by the U.S. Census Bureau to measure the effects of poverty.

Jessica Mindnich, director of research at Children Now, says the Golden State's poverty rate improves when programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are factored in. SNAP is a newer name for the Food Stamps program.

"If you look at the percentage using this method without government assistance, children in poverty jumps to 40 percent. That's a huge number of kids, so it really shows the value of high-quality government programs," says Mindnich.

Mindnich says California's high child poverty rate means state officials should act quickly to support investments such as high-quality early childhood programs.

"We know that when you intervene early in a child's life, it makes a huge difference," she says. "Children that have access to high-quality early learning enter school ready to learn and are really set up to succeed in school."

According to Mindnich, this also helps working parents. Full-time infant and child care can cost up to 71 percent of a minimum wage earner's salary.

Laura Speer, associate director for policy reform and advocacy at the Casey Foundation, says better measurement tools are important to make improvements.

"Using the Supplemental Poverty Measure, we can really see the successes and the limitations of the safety net resources that we've put into place," says Speer. "We can also see these resources don't go far enough. We still see there are 13 million children below the poverty line."

The Casey Foundation estimates child poverty costs the country $500 billion annually in lost productivity and earnings, including costs related to health and crime.

In addition to high-quality early education, Speer says other examples of what can be done to ensure children have a better chance of success as adults include changing tax credit policies to help families keep more of what they earn, and linking up programs for parents to programs for children.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021