Proxy Measure of Child Poverty in CA Sees Biggest Rise in Over 10 Years

September 30, 2009

In a sign of how the recession is affecting California's children, statewide enrollment in the Free or Reduced Price School Meal Program – a proxy measure for poverty – grew by the largest amount in over a decade, according to 2009 data from the California Department of Education recently added to kidsdata.org. Nearly 19,000 more California children enrolled in the program over the last school year, pushing total enrollment to 53 percent of all California public school students in 2009, up from 50.9 percent in 2008.

To qualify for the Free or Reduced Price Meal Program, a child's family income must fall below 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (or $40,793 for a family of four in 2009).

For more context on the economic well being of California's children, see data on homelessness and children in poverty.

Contact: Andy Krackov, senior director of public information, at (650) 736-0677 or andy.krackov@lpfch.org, if you have any questions.

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