Study Foresees Millions More American Children Living in Poverty
1/6/2010
3.4 million more children receiving food stamps
Washington, DC – The number of American children living in poverty is predicted to once again escalate as a result of the recession, as children receiving food stamps increased by 3.4 million in just one year, according to a new analysis released today by First Focus and Brookings researcher Julia Isaacs. As a result, public agencies and private charities will face significant hardships in their efforts to meet the needs of children and families throughout 2010, the report finds.
Statistics released last fall by the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that in 2008, nearly one in five children under the age of 18 lived in poverty. Experts acknowledge that this statistic does not capture the full impact of the economic downturn, which will drive 2009 poverty numbers even higher. New research released today examines child poverty rates as they relate to increases in families’ use of food stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The study, entitled “The Effects of the Recession on Child Poverty,” seeks to better understand how the recession is impacting children and families. It finds that that between August 2008 and August 2009, the number of people receiving SNAP benefits increased by 7 million, or 24 percent. This drastic increase means that roughly 3.4 million more children were receiving SNAP benefits in August 2009, as compared to a year earlier.
SNAP is the broadest federal safety-net program providing assistance to low-income individuals and families, and is therefore an accurate predictor of child poverty rates. Isaacs provides an initial glance at what parts of the nation are experiencing the most dramatic growth in economic need among families with children, and where the largest increases in child poverty have occurred during 2009.
Findings outlined in the report include:
• Children in nine states (Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and the District of Columbia) face a high risk of poverty in 2009, reflecting a combination of high child poverty in 2008 and very high increases of SNAP assistance between 2008 and 2009.
• Seven states with average levels of child poverty in 2008 (Florida, Idaho, Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, and Oregon) show very high growth in SNAP caseloads. And three states with low levels of child poverty in 2008 (Washington, Wisconsin, and Vermont) also experienced very high growth in assistance. These states may face challenges serving a dramatic influx of newly poor children.
• A total of 25 states may face high child poverty rates in 2009, based on high poverty in 2008 and/or large increases in assistance during the past year.
• The outlook is better in five states (Connecticut, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Wyoming) where child poverty was low in 2008 and only a moderate growth in recipients of SNAP benefits was reported.
• Child poverty rates in most states will continue rising in 2010, judging from poverty trends following past recessions.
“The economic downturn has put millions of our children at risk of experiencing the pains of poverty. Pains that will last a lifetime by taking a toll on their emotional and developmental well-being.” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus. “The sobering predictions outlined in this report must serve as critical call for help. Congress and the President must do more to prevent families from falling into poverty during these tough times.”
“We can map the areas of the country where child poverty is on the rise by tracking families’ use of nutrition assistance benefits (food stamps),” said Julia Isaacs, Brookings scholar. “Our maps predict that child poverty is particularly high in nine states in the South and Southwest regions of the United States.”Learn more and download a copy of the report.
