New Census Figures Reveal More Children Sinking into Poverty
(Philadelphia, PA) September 20, 2012 – For the second year in a row the child poverty rate has increased in four of five Southeastern Pennsylvania counties.
According to the American Community Survey (ACS) figures, released by the U.S. Census Bureau, 186,726 children in our region lived in poverty – a 14,047 increase – up from 172,679 kids in 2010.
Child poverty rose in four counties: Bucks (0.6 percent), Chester (1.0 percent), Delaware (1.7 percent) and Philadelphia (2.9 percent). At 6.4 percent the child poverty rate in Montgomery County was essentially unchanged, dropping slightly by (-0.1 percent).
“Coming on the heels of last week’s data that showed a more than $3,400 drop in PA median household income, it’s not surprising that child poverty has increased, but it’s very troubling” says Kathy Fisher, Family Economic Security Director for Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), noting the federal government’s threshold of poverty for family of four is a household income of $23,050 ($1,921 per month) or less. “Today’s data shows there is still no good news on child poverty. Our children are suffering.”
* See PDF at the top for figures
With even more families with children in the region struggling to make ends meet, Fisher describes as “tragic” the city’s child poverty rate of nearly 40 percent. “Earlier this decade we thought it was abysmal when about one in three Philadelphia children were living in poverty; now it’s two of every five children who have the odds stacked against them as they face greater challenges to staying healthy, to learning, and to accessing all the basics it takes to grow up prepared for adulthood.”
“With elections coming up this fall, it still amazes me how little candidates want to directly address children’s issues,” Fisher adds. “We’re failing these kids. Their future – and our future prosperity – depends on them.