Child Poverty and Family Economic Hardship: 10 Important Questions

I thought I would share some charts with you today. When I read the article it was mostly yada, yada, yada stuff to me, but then I thought it's probably because I have been reading this stuff for the past five years. I don't totally agree with some of the statistics because I think they are somewhat out of date. They don't take into account the vast increases of the past year, but I did think you might be interested in three of the charts. They do, after all, come from the National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health. If you would like to read the entire pdf just click the title to this post.

2008 Poverty Guidelines
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Persons in Family or Household
1 $10,400
2 14,000
3 17,600
4 21,200
5 24,800
6 27,610
7 31,090
8 34,570
For each additional person, add 3,480

Children by family income, 2006
Above low income
61%
100-200% FPL
22%
Less than
100% FPL
17%
Source: Estimates prepared by the National Center for Children in
Poverty from the Current Population Survey, Annual Social and
Economic Supplement, March 2006.

Low-income children by race/ethnicity, 2006
American Indian
1% (0.3 million)
Asian
3% (0.8 million)
Black
23%
(6.5 million)
Latino
33%
(9.2 milion)
White
40%
(11.0 million)

You would be amazed at the number of social workers I have encountered in the raising of my child that practically sneered their questions at me because I was white and what the hell was I doing there asking for help. I'm not going any further with that statement. I did really need the help, so I just looked down at that beautiful child of mine and knew that no matter what I had to do or say or bear he was going to get what he deserved.