The Children's Defense fund has almost completed their 2010 "State of America's Children" report and today I had the chance to get a "sneak peek" at a couple of the areas in the report. Here is something I copy/pasted from a section called "Child Poverty." You can view more of the report Here: The State of America’s Children® 2010 if you are interested.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Although the United States is home to 406 billionaires and countless millionaires, a baby is born into poverty every 32 seconds, 2,692 each day. Children are the poorest age group in America— every fifth child is poor. One in 12 children lives in extreme poverty (half or below the annual poverty level of $22,050 for a family of four). More than 5.6 million children are in families living at half the poverty level or less.For a family of four that is $919 a month, $212 a week and $30 a day. Children inextreme poverty increased by 1.6 million between 2000 and 2008."
"Although the United States is home to 406 billionaires and countless millionaires, a baby is born into poverty every 32 seconds, 2,692 each day. Children are the poorest age group in America— every fifth child is poor. One in 12 children lives in extreme poverty (half or below the annual poverty level of $22,050 for a family of four). More than 5.6 million children are in families living at half the poverty level or less.For a family of four that is $919 a month, $212 a week and $30 a day. Children inextreme poverty increased by 1.6 million between 2000 and 2008."
"The gap between rich and poor in the U.S. is the largest on record. The richest 10 percent of households with children received 38 percent of the nation’s income in 2006, the highest amount in three decades, while the bottom 20 percent received only five percent of the nation’s income."
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Most people would assume that these children living in poverty have parents who don't work, when infact, 70% of those living in poverty DO work.
Here is something else I found interesting - although just over half (51%) of children living in poverty have a parent/parents who have not completed high school, 25.5% of those have some college education/associates degree, 7.5% have completed a bachelor's degree, and another 7.4% have completed a masters degree or above.
Just felt like I needed to share - poverty is becoming more and more abundant even here in our little, cozy, hometowns, yet it is not something that is discussed or understood.
Mason is absolutely LOVING his new PLAYHOUSE! My friend Paula hooked us up with this playhouse from one of her friends whose little girl has outgrown it and even came with me to pick it up and put it together. Mason loves popping his head out of each of the 3 windows and then runs in and out and in and out, shutting the door each time. It is sure to bring us all MANY HOURS of entertainment! Thanks Paula!
