Lots of American kids still in poverty
TEXT OF STORY
Doug Krizner: The government’s releasing a report card today on the well-being of the nation’s children. It’ll look at everything from poverty and hunger to education and health. Jeremy Hobson has more.
Jeremy Hobson: Children account for about a quarter of the U.S. population — 74 million Americans. And 12 million of those kids are classified as “food insecure.”
At last count, about the same number were living in poverty. That means less than $20,000 a year for a family of four.
Julia Isaacs: We have not made the progress in lowering the child poverty rate that I think we would like to be making.
That’s Julia Isaacs, who focuses on child and family policy at the Brookings Institution. She says these numbers have long-term implications.
Isaacs: Thirty years from now, you know these children will be the workers, the citizens. And if children are not living in conditions where they can flourish and do well, it won’t be good for the country.
While things aren’t getting much worse, they don’t seem to be getting better either. Isaacs points out many of the numbers have remained flat for years.
In Washington, I’m Jeremy Hobson for Marketplace.
Stories You Might Like
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
