THE PROBLEM
Almost two million children in California live in poverty. We’re the fifth largest economy in the world, with the highest childhood poverty rate in the nation. What’s worse is that 450,000 of our children live in extreme poverty – officially called “deep poverty” – at half the California poverty line. That means their families are trying to survive on less than $13,000 a year. These families often have a disabled parent or child, or suffer from chronic instability. Taken together, those 450,000 children would make up a city larger than the size of Oakland. This is a fiscal and moral crisis.
Learn more: CA’s most recent poverty numbers
THE SOLUTION
The End Child Poverty Plan is a research-based, collaborative plan created by the state’s Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Task Force, co-chaired by GRACE President and CEO Conway Collis, that gives California a clear roadmap to end deep child poverty and cut overall child poverty in half.
The plan includes the following recommendations:
- A Targeted Child Tax Credit for families in deep poverty
- Expanded California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC)
- Increase in CalWORKS grants
- Voluntary Pre- and Post-natal Home Visiting Services
- Early Care and Education
- After School and Summer School Programs
- Promise Neighborhoods
- Job Training and Supports
- Housing for System-Involved Transition-Aged Youth
- More Recommendations can be found in the full plan by clicking here, or the plan overview here.
Now we’re convening leaders, organizations, community members, and advocates from across policy areas, creating a movement to support the End Child Poverty Plan that is more powerful than the sum of its parts, and one that is positioning California as a national leader in ending child poverty.
Learn more: CA’s End Child Poverty Plan
THE CHALLENGE
We can’t do this half way. Almost $5 billion has been committed toward the End Child Poverty Plan in the state budget, but there’s more to do. We have momentum to pass the whole plan, but our leaders have to act, and they need to know that Californians are behind them demanding change. That’s why we’re launching a robust on-the-ground outreach plan and expanding our dynamic online campaign.
Read more: Current investments in the End Child Poverty Plan
THE STATEWIDE COST SAVINGS
- Over 2:1 return on investment – when we invest our money to end child poverty, we see increases in the lifetime earnings and health of children
- Estimated savings of $13 million annually from reductions in incarceration, delinquency, public assistance, social services and healthcare costs
THE LIFTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY REPORT – THE END CHILD POVERTY PLAN
Assembly Bill 1520, authored by Assemblywoman Autumn Burke and sponsored by GRACE with funding from GRACE End Child Poverty Institute, created an expert task force made up of leaders and stakeholders from inside and outside government that developed a comprehensive, data-driven plan that laid the groundwork to eliminate deep child poverty and reduce child poverty overall. GRACE’s CEO Conway Collis co-chaired the Task Force. Read the report here. For more information about the progress made toward implementing the End Child Poverty Plan, click here.
Learn more: Read about the release of the End Child Poverty Plan
THE END CHILD POVERTY PLAN: STATEWIDE SUPPORT
In May 2019, the End Child Poverty Bus Tour made eight stops across California, building momentum for the End Child Poverty Plan before the state budget was finalized. We were joined by thousands along the way, including parents, children, community leaders, our 60+ local partners, and politicians like Governor Gavin Newsom. “Finally, we have a plan,” Governor Newsom said at our Los Angeles stop.
Learn more: Watch the End Child Poverty Bus Tour video