Appendix D. Historical Timeline

When the global COVID-19 pandemic broke out, shuttering businesses, schools, and child care facilities and throwing millions out of work, economists feared families—and the economy—would face a financial apocalypse. Instead, as this timeline shows, the unprecedented federal spending to protect health and stabilize families and the economy improved financial well-being. Child poverty, hunger, and eviction rates dropped to historic lows. For a brief, powerful moment, families had a glimpse of what a more stable, financially secure life might be like. The end of pandemic aid brought a return to the daily struggle to survive for many families living in poverty or striving to make ends meet on low pay.