2026 OCAP State of the Child Report

CHILD POVERTY ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY PERSISTS AMONG CHILDREN DESCRIPTION OF INDICATOR This indicator examines economic needs among children using multiple measures, including eligibility for free and reduced-price meals, income levels relative to the federal poverty threshold, and participation in key student support programs.

Why is this indicator important?

Findings 1-3 • The number of K–12 students eligible to receive free and reduced-price meals increased steadily from 275,492 students in the 2020–2021 school year to 310,630 in the 2024-2025 school year. This trend shows a multi-year decline followed by renewed growth, indicating both rising economic strain for Riverside County families and increased access to CalWORKs as pandemic supports ended. • Between 2014 and 2019, the proportion of children living below the federal poverty threshold declined overall, while the share living at 400% or more of the threshold increased. Despite this improvement, many children continued to live in households below 200% of the threshold, indicating ongoing economic insecurity. • The unduplicated count of pupils eligible for free or reduced price meals, English learners, homeless students, or foster youth rose from 286,604 in 2020–2021 to 317,017 in 2024–2025. This growth reflects overlapping challenges many students face and underscores the need for coordinated multisystem support.

Economic hardship during childhood is closely associated with a range of adverse educational, health, and developmental outcomes. Children living in poverty are more likely to experience food insecurity, housing instability, and limited access to supportive resources, all of which can negatively impact school readiness, academic performance, and long-term well-being. Monitoring child poverty indicators helps identify the scope of economic need within a community and informs efforts to target resources and services to the children and families most at risk.

1 California Department of Education. (n.d.). California Department of Education. https://www.cde.ca.gov ²KidsData. (n.d.). Children in poverty. KidsData. https://www.kidsdata.org/topic/44/poverty/summary ³U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). American Community Survey (ACS). U.S. Department of Commerce. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

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