Families with Children are Struggling During the COVID-19 Crisis – New Report Available Now [chidrennow.org]

Kids, Families and COVID-19: Pandemic Pain Points and a Roadmap for Recovery, a 50-state report of recent household data analyzing how families are faring during the COVID-19 crisis was released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation today. Using data from weekly surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, this KIDS COUNT® policy report demonstrates how families across the country are struggling to meet basic needs during the pandemic while managing school, work and mental health.

The findings are deeply concerning. The Casey Foundation identified four pain points – food security, the ability to make rent or mortgage payments, health insurance status, and mental health concerns – for children and families:

• Of respondents with children, 15% said they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat. The data also shows racial and ethnic disparities, with Black, Latino, and other families and kids of color faring worse than their white peers.
• Many Californians have lost employment income since the start of the pandemic, and 20% had slight or no confidence they would make their next rent or mortgage payment on time.
• One in eight families with children did not have health insurance. In California, where coverage has been expanded and the rate of uninsured children has dropped for the last two decades, there is now a significant uptick in the number of children without health coverage.
• Twenty five percent of respondents with children said they felt down, depressed or hopeless, indicating a widespread need for access to mental health care. California does not currently have a sustainable, long-term plan to support children, teen and young adult’s mental well-being.

Now is the time for California leaders to step up and truly address the impact of the pandemic on kids. Please sign onto this statement urging the Governor and Legislature to put children first in 2021 and ensure that every unrestricted dollar in the 2021-22 state budget be prioritized for supports for kids, across early childhood, family and economic supports, health, K-12 and higher ed, housing and child welfare.