Poverty and Class

Butte County’s Mental Health Diversion program helps defendants get treatment instead of jail, but the program is being underused, some attorneys say.

As SNAP budget cuts and expanded work requirements kick in, millions of children may lose access to free school meals.

Latino families in Riverside County turn to workshops and healing circles to cope with trauma, stress, and stigma from immigration enforcement.

While some improvements have been made, a lack of resources and cultural changes continue to challenge efforts to reduce absenteeism.

In Texas, a journalist uncovers a "shadow child welfare system that operates outside the purview of state officials, in spaces created by gaps in oversight and the law."

Compared to its population, Gilroy has the highest homelessness rate per capita of any city in the region, but resources are sorely lacking.

The government’s recent crackdown on immigrants is also worsening health outcomes within the community.

Children in low-income Black communities face higher lead exposure risks from aging schools and homes, which can lead to worse health and learning outcomes.

Native youth in California face the state's highest suicide rates despite being its smallest ethnic group. Now Medicaid cuts threaten vital Indigenous clinics offering culturally rooted mental health care.

Victor Malin Jr. endured foster care, trauma, and prison. Now he mentors youth and leads community programs to stop others from following the same path.