Four In 10 American Children Come From Long-Income Families

First Posted: Jan 21, 2015 06:31 PM EST
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Statistics show that as many as four in every ten American children live in low-income families, according to new research from the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

Researchers analyzed the latest available U.S. Census data and found that 44 percent of children under the age of 18 lived in low-income families in 2013, with 22 percent living in poor families. Researchers defined poor families as those with incomes less than two times the Federal Poverty Threshold. (This could be about $47,000 for a family of four with two children or about $24,000 for a family of four with two children.)

"Far too many American children live in economically insecure families, and this serious threat to our nation's future does not get the attention it deserves," said NCCP Director Renée Wilson-Simmons, in a news release. "NCCP's Basic Facts about Low-Income Children provides essential data to raise awareness about our most vulnerable children." 

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) also shows that there are many risk associated with poverty and increased risk of various health issues. There is an increased risk of obesity and adult and childhood poverty. Certain risks also apply to a varying degree for gender, race-ethnicity and age. 

Other notable findings included the following, courtesy of the 2015 edition of Basic Facts about Low-Income Children:

-The number of children in economically insecure families remains far higher than it was before the Great Recession. However, the number of children under the age of 18 in the United States has grown by less than one percent since 2007. Furthermore, the number of low-income children has grown by 13 percent (3.6 million).

-There are large disparities in families among economic disparity and ethnicities. Over 60 percent of African Americans, Latino and American Indian children live in low-income families when compare to about 30 percent of white and Asian children.

-There are a significant among of poor and low-income children who live with working parents. Half of low-income children and 29 percent of poor children live with at least one parent that is employed full time, year round.

- Many poor children have parents with some college education. Forty-one percent of poor children have at least one parent with some college education.

- The percentage of children in low-income families varies substantially by region. Forty-eight percent of children in the South live in low-income families, compared to 37 percent in the Northeast.

- Younger children are more likely to live in low-income families than older children. Forty-seven percent of all children under 3 years old live in low-income families, compared to 41 percent of children age 12 through 17 years.

More information regarding the findings can be seen here

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