Policymakers Can Curb Rising Child Poverty Rates

Nearly one in five California children live without enough resources to meet their most basic needs. Statewide, according to the latest Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) data, there are more children in poverty than there are in the entire Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties combined)—or in Maryland, Massachusetts, or 35 other U.S. states.

Expansions to the social safety net during the COVID-19 pandemic brought California’s SPM child poverty rate to a historic low in 2021 (7.5%). Following the expiration of these investments, SPM rates returned to pre-pandemic levels (19%) in 2023. These trends demonstrate the powerful and rapid impact that policymakers’ actions can have on the economic well-being of millions of children and families.

Read more about evidence-based policies that could reverse rising poverty rates statewide and nationally.

More Children’s Health Resources

PRB has released two new articles highlighting recent findings in child and family health research.

From the Emergency Room to Eviction?

In a national study of families with children, a hospitalization or visit to the emergency room in the previous year was associated with a five-percentage-point increase in the probability of experiencing later housing hardship (frequent moves, difficulty paying rent or mortgage, eviction, or homelessness). Building financial security before, during, and after an unexpected hospital visit—e.g., through paid leave, housing assistance, and child allowance policies—could reduce the impacts of these health shocks on families.

Vaccination During Pregnancy May Reduce Whooping Cough in Infants

Vaccination during pregnancy is the primary strategy for whopping cough (pertussis) prevention in infants. A new analysis finds that after recommendations for all pregnant people to receive a Tdap vaccination were announced in 2012, annual rates of pertussis among infants in the U.S. fell by 54 cases per 100,000. That there was no significant change in pertussis deaths among infants could suggest that Tdap coverage among pregnant people remains too low to reduce mortality, or that mothers of the highest risk-infants are not being reached effectively.

Recently Released Resources

We recently released data about family income and poverty. See links to the latest here.

Posted by kidsdata.org

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 27th, 2025 at 10:17 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.