Definition: Difference between the percentage of children ages 0-17 estimated to be in poverty in the absence of social safety net programs and the percentage of children estimated to be in poverty, according to the California Poverty Measure (CPM), by program type and CPM poverty level (e.g., in the absence of the CalFresh program, the child poverty rate in California would have been 5 percentage points higher in the first quarter of 2023, according to the CPM).
Data Source: Public Policy Institute of California & Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality, California Poverty Measure (Aug. 2024).
Footnote: Data for 2021 Q4 and later are one-year estimates beginning from a reference quarter—e.g., 2023 Q1 refers to the first quarter (January–March) of 2023. Data for 2017–2019 and earlier are three-year estimates. Due to changes in methodology, caution should be taken when comparing 2021 Q4 and later estimates with data for 2017–2019 and earlier years; see the technical appendices for detailed information. The California Poverty Measure (CPM) is an approach to gauging poverty in California that accounts for geographic differences in the cost of living, factors in tax credits and in-kind assistance that augment family resources, and subtracts medical, commuting, and child care expenses. When combined, the cumulative poverty-reducing effect of multiple programs may be higher or lower than the sum across individual program effects.
