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Headline Indicators

Childhood Poverty

Current Value

13.00%

2017

Definition

Line Bar Comparison

Story Behind the Curve

The federal poverty level is a measure of poverty within the U.S released annually by the Department of Health and Human Services. The poverty level is used to determine a family’s eligibility for assistance programs that include but are not limited to Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Migrant Health Centers, Community Health Centers and Family and Planning Services. The data provided is a result of information collected on the percentage of children living in households under the federal poverty level by the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS).This indicator has seen a gradual, but consistent increase since 2006.

CT Voices for Children have authored a number of studies that disaggregate this data into regions and by race/ethnicity. In 2014, the percent of children living in households under the federal poverty level disaggregated by race were as follows: Asian (5%), White non-Hispanic (6%), African-American (31%), and Hispanic (33%). These studies have consistently shown that there is a substantial gap in poverty levels amongst various ethnic/racial groups, and between the residents of larger cities and those from suburban or rural towns. The Connecticut Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission (LPRAC) agree with these findings also noting that Hispanic and Latino Americans in Connecticut are concentrated in the urban areas, where educational attainment and quality, a key component to rising out of poverty, remain basic or substandard. In addition to regional and ethnic gaps, there is a systemic, statewide issue with the ability to maintain a living wage, causing single parents to struggle more than dual working parent households. According to a recent the Connecticut United Way ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report, 51% of jobs in the state pay less than $20/hour.

Recently, the state of Connecticut has undertaken a number of measures to combat poverty, though this has proven difficult during the slow recovery from the Great Recession and the resulting budgetary constraints. The Connecticut Commission on Children has actively been a participant, alongside legislators and agency representatives with the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management’s Child Poverty and Prevention Council, which was charged with reducing child poverty by 50 percent by July 2014. Having been in existence for a number of years, their recommendations have been utilized for Public Acts on a number of occasions. The Child Poverty and Prevention Council was slated for sunset in 2015, however Public Act No. 14-132 re-establishes it with additional membership from other state agencies and state offices to regularly report on long-term actions, respective findings, methodologies, and other relevant information to the council. It remains a substantial resource towards producing recommendations and policies to actively combat childhood poverty.

Partners

  • Commission on Children
  • Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission
  • United Way of Connecticut

Strategy

  • Improve minimum wage standards (CAP)
  • Increase the value of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) of married couples with children (The Heritage Foundation)
  • Establish pay equity between male and female workers. (CAP)
  • Expand the accessibility of paid sick leave. (CAP)
  • Create a transitional jobs program to allow employees with temporary restrictions to work in a modified, alternative, or reduced-hours capacity, for a defined period of time, while recuperating from an illness or injury. (Children's Defense Fund)
  • Expanded Housing Assistance for families with children. (CDF)
  • Increase the level of SNAP maximum benefits for families with children. (CDF)
  • Establish a fully refundable Child Tax Credit. (CDF)
  • Engage employers in every aspect of pathway development: sector selection, course and curricula design, cross-institution alignment, oversight and evaluation and career advancement. (Annie E. Casey Foundation)
  • Utilize employer organizations as communication channels to reach smaller businesses and mobilize support for career pathways. (Annie E. Casey Foundation)
  • Promote opportunities to advance adult literacy. (CSSP)
  • Increase subsidized childcare opportunities (CSSP)

Strategies collected from the Center for American Progress (CAP), The Heritage Foundation, The Children's Defense Fund (CDF), The Annie E. Casey Foundation and The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP).

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