“Regional young Child Poverty in 2008: Rural Midwest sees increased poverty, while urban Northeast rates decrease”
The analysis by the Carsey Institute, based at the University of New Hampshire, suggests that the recession has affected poverty rates for children under 6 years old unevenly: While child poverty rates in the rural Midwest rose significantly in 2008, those in Northeastern central cities fell slightly. In the rural South, where more than 30 percent of young children are poor, poverty rates for young children persisted at a very high rate.
For children under six, the challenges of poverty include poorer health, lower quality education and programs, lower cognitive and behavioral functioning, and greater parental stress. There is also evidence that poverty is associated with a lower quality home environment and poorer parenting practices.
The report uses data from the American Community Survey, released by the U.S. Census Bureau in late September 2009, which captures the calendar year 2008 and thus not the full effect of the economic downturn.
