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Data & Trends

Reduce Child Poverty
Data & Trends Targets & Projections Background Info

Targets

Target-setting is an important step in achieving positive outcomes for children, youth, families and the community.  In order to achieve better results leaders can commit to setting a measurable target and a timeframe for its accomplishment.

Questions to Consider

  • Based on trend and projection data what is an achievable target?
  • How will the target be used?  As an inspiration for mobilizing public will and action? As a benchmark for measuring performance and accountability?
  • Can targets be set for specific groups or regions within the state?
  • How will local targets be incorporated, if at all, into the state target? What support can the state give to local entities to set and achieve targets?
  • How will racial disparities, geographic differences and other variations be considered?
  • What will ensure targets are appropriately set and used over time?

Examples

  • Several states – including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon, and Vermont – have set targets for reducing some measure of poverty. Typically, they chose the goal of reducing poverty by 50 percent over 10 years.
  • Arkansas and Illinois issued comprehensive state plans, both with the goal of reducing poverty by 50 percent.

Projections

In order to achieve measureable results, it is essential to examine the direction in which a trend is likely to move.  Making projections allows policymakers to determine the current and future conditions and set realistic and appropriate targets.

Questions to Consider

  • What do trends suggest about the current outcomes for children, families and communities?
  • What will child poverty rates look like in the near and distant future (for instance, after one year, three years and five years) if you continue on the current course?
  • Does the projected trend suggest positive conditions for children, youth and families? If positive change is projected is it significant? Is it enough?
  • What is the impact on communities, public systems and state budgets?

In conjunction with Casey Family Programs, Kansas’ Reducing Child Poverty Task Force developed projections of child poverty through 2020 and developed a goal of reducing child poverty by 50 percent by 2020. Using real-time child poverty data as it becomes available, these projections are revised and used to track progress toward the state’s 2020 goal

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Targets Set by States. See poverty reduction targets set by U.S. states.
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Estimating Policy Impacts

Two analyses by the Urban Institute of the impact of safety net policies on poverty.
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Employment and wage data are published regularly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for states and regions within states, providing a basis for economic projections. Child poverty projections should be understood not simply as percentages of children in poverty, but also in terms of the numbers of children affected.
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Setting Poverty Reduction Targets. See guidance on establishing state poverty task forces and setting poverty reduction targets for your state.