Safety Net Programs and Measuring Child Poverty

An October report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) demonstrates that federal safety net programs – including refundable tax credits – have driven a significant decline in child poverty over the last decades. Researchers analyzed data from the federal Supplemental Poverty Measure – which includes income from SNAP and other federal non-cash benefits and refundable tax credits – together with Columbia University poverty data and found that when safety net income is taken into account, the child poverty rate was nearly halved from 1967 to 2016. The authors attribute the large decrease in child poverty, in large part, to the creation and expansion of safety net programs, in particular SNAP and the major refundable tax credits. Download the full report: Child Poverty Falls to Record Low, Comprehensive Measure Shows Stronger Government Policies Account for Long-Term Improvement.