Today’s U.S. Census Bureau report shows—once again—that poverty in the United States is a policy choice.

On September 12, the Census Bureau will release poverty, income, and health insurance data for 2022. Read more for three trends we anticipate.

In advance of Census Bureau’s annual release of poverty data, we explain exactly what the official poverty measure captures and what it misses.

Youth mental health needs existed before the pandemic; indeed, while these needs were clearly growing for years there has long been a mismatch between the level of need and the services available.

A family’s income during the prenatal and early years of a child’s life plays a significant role in her health, well-being, and cognitive development, all of which shape her future outcomes. Evidence abounds on the positive impact that income support programs—especially cash transfers—have on children.

Children experience poverty through hardships like hunger and inadequate nutrition, insufficient access to health care, unstable housing and homelessness, and the toxic stress experienced by their parents.

The release of 2021 poverty and health insurance coverage data from the U.S. Census Bureau demonstrates how government action in response to the pandemic stabilized households, uplifted millions of people from poverty, and brought uninsurance rates to historic lows.

Thanks to powerful federal investments in programs that support people seeking economic security, the child poverty rate in 2021 as measured by the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) dropped by nearly half, from 9.7 percent in 2020 to 5.2 percent in 2021, the lowest level measured.

CLASP responds to latest poverty data showing a drop resulting from federal programs to address the pandemic and recession. Congress must continue this investment through the Build Back Better Act.

New Census data on poverty and health insurance reveal troubling signs for people with low incomes.