Growing up in poverty puts kids at higher risks for problems and
perpetuates a cycle of poverty. A whopping 45 percent of adults
who live at or below the poverty line were also poor as
children. Limited opportunities for quality education early in
life, for instance, create a ripple effect that reduces the
chances for upward mobility. And the numbers in California, are
particularly stark. The authors of the January report,
“Prosperity Threatened: Perspectives on Childhood Poverty in
California,” point to several factors behind the poverty
figures, such as number of single-parent households and the lack
of health insurance. Here’s a look at some of the report's
disheartening numbers: 1 in 5: Ratio of California’s children
living in poverty. 6.1 million: Total number of people living at
or below the poverty line, as measured by the Census Bureau’s
Supplemental Poverty Measures. 45%: The percentage of poor
adults who grew up in poverty. 38.1%: The share of black
children under the age of 6 living poverty. 22%: R