2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book : : Annie E Casey Foundation

2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book

1.7 Million More Children Live in Low-Income Working Families Today Than in Midst of Great Recession

Annie E. Casey Foundation: 7.21.2015

About 1.7 million more children live in low-income working families today than during the Great Recession, according to the newly released 2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book from the Annie. E. Casey Foundation. In 2013, one in four children, 18.7 million, lived in a low-income working family in the United States. Nearly a third of children are living in families where no parent has full-time employment. And even when parents are working full time, wages and benefits are often not sufficient to adequately support a family

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National and State Rankings for 2015 Data Book

For the first time in a nearly a decade, a non-New England state ranks number one for overall child well-being. Minnesota holds the top spot, followed by New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Iowa, and Vermont. Arizona, Nevada, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi rank lowest. Other state highlights:

■While three New England states rank within the top five for overall well-being among the 50 states, the top five states in the area of economic well-being are in the heartland and Plain States regions — North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota.

■The biggest improvements in overall rankings compared to last year’s Data Book are seen in Alaska, Minnesota, Wyoming, South Carolina and Missouri. The biggest drops in overall rankings are seen in West Virginia, Indiana, Rhode Island, Virginia, Arkansas and Vermont.

■Southeast, Southwest and Appalachian states have the lowest income and are at the bottom of the overall rankings. With the exception of California, the 15 lowest-ranked states were in these regions.

Poverty is Persistent in Many Neighborhoods

Despite being several years into the economic recovery, one in five children remains stranded in poverty.

■Since 2008, the number of children living in poverty has risen by almost 3 million, from 13.2 million to 16.1 million today.

■At a rate of 22% in 2013, the rate of child poverty is still several percentage points higher than before the recession, when it was 18%.

=The number of children living in high-poverty neighborhoods – where poverty rates are more than 30% — is the highest since 1990:

■Today, one in seven children — 14% — live in high-poverty communities.

■More than two million more children live in areas of concentrated poverty today than in 2006-2010.

Recovery Sidesteps Children of Color

Race is one of the strongest factors influencing a child’s economic stability. Data show the economic recovery of the past several years has bypassed many children of color. Rates of unemployment at the close of 2014 were in single digits for all races except African Americans. African Americans were also the only group for whom unemployment remains higher than before the recession.

■African-American children are twice as likely as the average child to live in high-poverty neighborhoods and to live in single-parent families.

■American Indian children are twice as likely to lack health insurance coverage.

■Latino children are the most likely to live with a household head who lacks a high school diploma.

“The national averages belie the stark reality that millions of children, particularly African Americans, Latinos, and American Indians live on the precipice of poverty. Today, as the economy recovers, we see a widening gap between the living standards of many children of color and other kids,” said Laura Speer, associate director for policy reform and advocacy. “The good news is when we’ve invested in the right strategies and policies, we have made a difference for kids.  READ MORE !