1 in 4 Dallas children grow up in poverty. Let's work together to cut that in half in a single generation.

Every child deserves a life filled with opportunity. The Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL) operates as an unofficial R&D department for Dallas, rethinking how data can be integrated into public systems, community programs, and neighborhood life to break cycles of intergenerational poverty.

Big Bets For Economic Mobility

CPAL works across five key areas to reduce child poverty in Dallas.

  • 1

    Benefits Delivery

  • 2

    Maternal Health

  • 3

    Housing

  • 4

    Criminal Justice

  • 5

    Safety

  • Strong Neighborhoods
  • Early Development
  • Economic Connectedness

CPAL works across five key areas to reduce child poverty in Dallas.

These five big bets are rooted in a growing body of evidence that connects experiences in childhood to economics in adulthood.

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Percentage change in Dallas’ child poverty rate (2017 to 2022)

Percentage change compared to other cities (2017 to 2022)

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More than 100 partner organizations working together with Dallas public agencies in the lab to create change.

Working Together