Ian Leui, Jazmin de Luna, Manual Lopez, Samantha Galindo and Samarea Johnson were honored in December at our 28th annual CDF Beat the Odds® gala. They mingled with celebrities and enjoyed an evening where they were the center of attention, and their hard work – at school, home and in their community – was recognized. Now we are accepting applications for our next cohort of students to be a part of the CDF Beat the Odds family. Our online application portal is open through March 29. The program honors outstanding young people who demonstrate academic commitment, are involved in improving their community while overcoming adversity. Through a competitive review process, we will select five deserving high school freshmen from the greater Los Angeles area to receive academic support geared towards college enrollment and completion. In order to apply students must write a personal statement that describes their hardships and how they have overcome them and get a letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, casework or any other unrelated adult. Other requirements can be found online. Application deadline is March 29.
More Featured Updates
Ending School Lunch Shaming in California
Starting January 1, 2018, school officials will no longer deny a student their school meal, offer an alternative “shame sandwich” meal or publicly shame students for their unpaid meals fees.
Key Legislation Awaits Governor’s Signature
The California Legislature ended their 2017 session last month with the passage of a number of bills that will help level the playing field for children.
LBUSD misallocated millions in funds meant for high need students
In a response to an administrative complaint brought by parents and community organizations, including CDF-CA, the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) has found that the Long Beach Unified School District misallocated $24 million in funds meant to increase or improve services for high need students last year.
Key Statistics and Resources Child Poverty in California Based on New U.S. Census Data
U.S. Census Bureau data released today reveal that 1.78 million California children (19.9%) lived in poverty in 2016. Children remain the poorest age group. Children of color continue to be disproportionately poor: 26.6% (1,236,452) of Latino children and 29.6% (142,588) of Black children were poor in 2016, compared to 9.6% (221,622) of White children. Nearly 1 in 12 California children (723,923) lived in deep poverty in 2016, putting them at severe risk of hunger, homelessness, and toxic stress. The Census Bureau's official poverty measure defines poverty as an annual income below $24,563 for an average family of four, or less than $2,047 a month or $ 67.30 a day. Deep poverty is half of that level. An alternative Census measure, the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), suggests that these figures substantially understate how many children face economic hardship in California due to the [...]
Marching Forward to End Child Poverty
Thanks in large part to the hard work and advocacy of partners like you, California took a big step last month to support working poor families.
Statement from Children’s Defense Fund–California on President Trump’s First Budget Proposal
In response to President Trump's budget proposal, Alison Buist, National Child Health Director for Children's Defense Fund–California, issued this statement: "The Trump budget recklessly turns its back on America's children, denying them basic supports that would enable them survive and thrive. It's hard to overstate the magnitude of harm the Trump budget would inflict on California children and families, especially the nearly 1 in 4 California children living in poverty. This budget slashes critical services including but not limited to health care, education, and SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) more deeply than any previous budget in modern times." Media Contact Cadonna Dory cdory@childrensdefense.org o: (213) 355-8790 // c: (323) 385-6342 ### Children's Defense Fund-California (CDF-CA) is a state office of the Children's Defense Fund, a national child advocacy organization that has worked relentlessly for [...]