(Opinion) California’s poor kids live in some surprising places
“And poorer families don’t have enough help. Eligibility for social programs is still tied to a federal poverty line – $20,090 for a family of three – that lags reality. In Santa Barbara County, the California poverty threshold, which varies for regional costs, is $26,492 for a family of three; the self-sufficiency standard – the amount to cover basic needs – is $59,000 a year for a single parent with two children. Such figures show why poverty programs don’t have much impact in expensive places.”