Children Now, a leading children's policy and advocacy organization. Report Card '96 shows that many children are not doing well despite the hard work of their parents. Affordable child care is out of reach for thousands of working poor families. Out of the 1.6 million children eligible for subsidized child care, only about 250,000 are currently served. Recent state tax policy has not favored low-income working families.
Poverty alone puts any family at risk.
By providing better support to working families, we would significantly boost California children's chances for success and sow the seeds for long-term economic returns. Quality child care, tax credits for low-income working families, expanded health coverage and an improved child support system are some strategies to help families provide the necessities for their children through work. Some counties bear very high unemployment rates, creating stress for parents whose jobs may be insecure and making it difficult for those without jobs to achieve economic self-sufficiency. California has slipped further behind other states in the areas of family economics and health. California made slight gains in the areas of safety and teen opportunity and remained the same among states in education.