What We Learned- General and Specific to Illinois

NATIONAL STATISTICS:
• In 2008, 1 out of 5 children are living in poverty – which equates to 14.1 million children (19% of children under age of 18) (Census 2008, Children’s Defense Fund).
•In 2008, 2 out of 9 children under the age of 5 were living in poverty – which equates to 4.6 million (22.2% of children under the age of 5) (Census 2008, Children’s Defense Fund)
•In 2008, based on the federal poverty line:
o1 out of 3 African American children under the age of 18 were living in poverty (3.9 million, 34.7%)

o3 out of 10 Latino children under the age of 18 were living in poverty (5 million, 30.6%)
o1 out of 11 Caucasian children under the age of 18 were living in poverty (4.2 million, 9.5%)

•From 2000 to 2008: Poverty increased by 2.5 million children (21.4%) to reach 14.1 million. Extreme poverty increased by more than 1.6 million children (35.5%) to reach 6.3 million (Children’s Defense Fund)
•7 out of 10 children living in poverty come from working families where one parent works full or part time for at least part of the year (Children’s Defense Fund)

(From ChildTrends.org)


ILLINOIS STATISTICS:
•In 2007-2008, 38% of African-American children and 22% of Latino children in Illinois were below poverty level, compared with 9% of both white children and Asian children (Voices for Illinois Children, 2010).
•Illinois’ child poverty rate gradually increased from 15% at the beginning of the decade to 17% in 2008. In 2007-2008, ten counties — mostly in southern Illinois — had child poverty rates above 25 percent. Among the ten largest cities, the highest child poverty rates were in Rockford (34%), Chicago (31%), and Peoria (27%) (Voices for Illinois Children, 2010).
•Based on patterns of past recessions, the nationwide child poverty rate is projected to exceed 24% in 2012, higher than at any time since the early 1960s. If trends in Illinois follow these projections, child poverty in the state can be expected to reach about 22% (over 650,000 children) (Voices of Illinois Children, 2010).


For more information:
http://www.voices4kids.org/issues/policyagenda.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsOU5TmCvVE

Recommended Readings:
Kotlowitz, A. (1991). There are no children here: The story of two boys growing up in the other America. New York, NY: Anchor Books.

Boger, J & Wegner, J. (1996). Race and poverty, and American cities. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.