July 21--More Illinois children lived in poverty in 2013 than before the recession, consistent with a troubling national trend that runs contrary to news of an economic rebound, according to a new report on child welfare.
Some 21 percent of Illinois children -- about 616,000 -- were living in poverty in 2013 compared with 17 percent in 2008, according to the latest Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a child advocacy group. Those numbers, the most recent available, closely resemble the national figures, which also show the poverty rates for black and American Indian children were more than double the rate for non-Hispanic whites.
In Chicago, about 34 percent of children were living in poverty in 2013, said Larry Joseph, research director at the nonprofit Voices for Illinois Children, part of a network of state-level Kids Count projects supported by the Casey Foundation. And, there's been an increase in child poverty in the collar counties, too.
"The major point overall is, in both Illinois and the nation as a whole, recovery from the recession is leaving too many low-income families behind," Joseph said.
Historically, the child poverty rate rebounds at a slower pace than unemployment numbers after an economic downturn, and young parents with less education and work experience are particularly vulnerable during a recession, Joseph said.
"An economic crisis can have long-term scarring effects for families with young children," he said.
The annual report does show improvements in some areas. Illinois was ranked 20th in overall child well-being, as opposed to 23rd in 2013. There are fewer children living in households burdened with high housing costs. Other positive signs include fewer kids without health insurance, and slightly improved numbers in reading and math proficiency.
But the number of kids living in poverty continues to be a problem in Chicago and statewide, experts say. And it's particularly a worry in the summer, when children aren't receiving meals through school.
"It's hard to find a silver lining when you have 616,000 children living in poverty," said Bob Dolgan, director of statewide partnerships for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. "It's really troubling to see these figures."
In Cook County, about 250,000 children don't have regular access to consistent meals. In partnership with other agencies statewide, the Greater Chicago Food Depository has been ramping up its summer meal programs, Dolgan said. That means both knocking on doors to raise awareness of summer meal program sites, as well as increasing outreach efforts via social media.
The child poverty problem -- which Casey Foundation President Patrick McCarthy called a "particularly pernicious form of cancer" -- has also been spreading to the suburbs in recent years, Joseph said.
Suburban Cook County and the collar counties represented 22 percent of Illinois' children living in poverty in 1999, he said. By 2012, the suburbs' share of statewide child poverty was up to 33 percent.
Joseph said the problem was worsened by "eroding" political support for social service programs at the state and national level.
The Kids Count Data Book covers various measures, delving into economic well-being, health care, education, and family and community issues.
The problems extend beyond -- and in some cases drive -- increasing poverty rates. More children were raised in single-parent homes in 2013 than in 2008, and fewer lived with parents with secure employment.
McCarthy said particularly troubling is an increase in the share of kids living in poor communities, regardless of their families' economic standing. The report says 1 in 7 children live in those areas, marked by poor schools and a lack of a safe place to play.
"They're more likely to fall down the economic ladder, less likely to be employed and more likely to get in trouble," McCarthy said.
Tax credits and additional support such as food stamps could give low-income families a much-needed boost, and job training could provide help for those struggling to get an economic foothold, he said. Businesses should implement more family-friendly policies, and a massive infrastructure repair campaign could create countless jobs.
"None of them is a magic bullet. When you put them all together, you start to put the children on a path to success," he said.
The Associated Press contributed.
gtrotter@tribpub.com
