Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL)

The Problem: Among major cities, Dallas has the third highest rate of child poverty in the nation. Today, one out of every three of our children grows up in poverty. This impairs cognitive and physical development, incites risky behaviors, and creates lasting health challenges. Consequently, chances for economic mobility in our region are slim -- and the odds that todays children in poverty will grow up to be parents of children in poverty are high. CPAL exists because the level of child poverty in Dallas is morally unacceptable and economically unsustainable. CPALs North Star Goal: Reduce Child Poverty by 50% over the next 20 years The Approach: Key drivers of success (basic needs, education, jobs, family/neighborhood prosperity, etc) are symbiotically entwined. There is no single silver-bullet that will move large numbers of children to future economic security, especially within the timeframe of two decades or less. Instead it will require action from multiple angles...