22% of Children in US Live in Poverty
From today’s Public Education Network Weekly NewsBlast
An analysis by the Foundation for Child Development finds that the number of children living in poverty this year will climb to 22 percent, the highest in two decades, according to USA TODAY. In 2006 nearly 17 percent of children were living in poverty, and the recession could wipe out virtually all economic progress for children since 1975 when the foundation began analyzing data. The foundation’s Child and Youth Well-Being Index tracks 28 key statistics that include health insurance coverage, parents’ employment, infant mortality, and preschool enrollment. The report projects that the percentage of children living in families with an “insecure” source of food has risen from 17 percent in 2007 to 18 percent in 2010, an increase of 750,000 children. Up to 500,000 children may be homeless this year, living in shelters or places not meant for habitation. Researchers note their projections have limitations, since complete statistics from government and other sources were available only through 2006. However, according to Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation, “Most of the report is an advertising tool for more government programs and spending, which are pretty ineffective in increasing child well-being.”
