There are roughly three million more U.S. children living in
poverty today than during the outbreak of the Great Recession in 2008. The 2015
Data Book by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, evaluates information from numerous
federal agencies from 2008 to 2013 to determine child well-being nationwide.
The report finds that approximately 22 percent of U.S.
children were beneath the poverty line in 2013, a significant increase from 18
percent in 2008. Moreover, 31 percent of children in 2013 had parents without
secure employment, compared to 27 percent in 2008.
"Although we are several years past the end of the
recession, millions of families still have not benefited from the economic recovery,"
said Patrick McCarthy, president and CEO of the Casey Foundation. "While
we’ve seen an increase in employment in recent years, many of these jobs are
low-wage and cannot support even basic family expenses."
These trends affect communities of color even more severely
than the general population. "Race is one of the strongest factor's
influencing a child's economic stability," notes a summary of the study's
findings. For example, African-American children are two times as likely to
live in high-poverty neighborhoods, and African-American communities overall
are hit hardest by unemployment. Racial inequality in America is deepening.
According to Laura Speer, associate director for policy reform and advocacy:
"Today, as the economy recovers, we see a widening gap between the living
standards of many children of color and other kids." A Cornell University
analysis released in May revealed that the foreclosure crisis between 2005 and
2009 disproportionately displaced black and Latino households and led to a
spike in racial segregation across the country.
Hungry, unhealthy kids of any race mean little to the upper
elite.
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