More than 16.1 million children in America are poor, but they live in working families. A disproportionate number are Black and Latino. Poor children lag behind their peers in many ways beyond income: They are less healthy, trail in emotional and intellectual development, and are less likely to graduate from high school. Poor children also are likely to become the poor parents of the future. Every year that we keep children in poverty costs our nation half a trillion dollars in lost productivity, poorer health and increased crime.
Our vision is to end child poverty. We must invest in high quality education for every child, livable wages for families, income safety nets like job training and job creation, the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits, and work supports like child care and health coverage. We also work with partners to educate families about benefits for which they are eligible.
Child Poverty in America Fact Sheet
This year's fact sheet highlights the new national poverty data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. This fact sheet highlights the new poverty data released by the U.S. Census Bureau for 2012. The number of children in poverty is 16.1 million, essentially unchanged from 2011. And the younger children are the poorer they are. 25.1 percent of children under age 5, the years of greatest brain development were poor in 2012. Poverty stacks the odds against children. Research shows children growing up poor are less likely to succeed in school, to grow up healthy and more likely to be poor as adults. Download the fact sheet.
Child Poverty in the States
CDF’s analysis of new state data released by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that child poverty rates remain at record highs and Black, Hispanic and children under six suffer the most. Only two states (Texas and Illinois) experienced significant decreases from 2011. Child poverty rates actually increased in three states (New Hampshire, Mississippi and California) and remained at 2011 levels for the remaining 45 states. Learn more.
Children of Hard Times
Child poverty remains at record high levels with children remaining the poorest age group in 2012 and more than one out of five children are poor. Marian Wright Edelman with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Julia Cass chronicles the new faces of poverty through the “Children of Hard Times”. Traveling across the heartland of America, Ms. Cass reports the desperate toll poverty takes on children and their parents. The stories offer fresh insight into the daily struggle to provide food and shelter, health care and educational support, and find stable employment paying a liveable wage in the United States in 2011. Read their stories and CDF’s response to the sharp increase in child poverty.
Please go here for more information: http://www.childrensdefense.org/policy-priorities/ending-child-poverty/?gclid=CLqJubr_9rsCFWGCQgodA3EAQw
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