A new report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows nearly one in four Ohio children now live in poverty, up from 18 percent seven years ago. The non-profit organization's annual Kids Count data book ranks Ohio 23rd in the nation for child well-being, based on multiple factors. It's the sixth straight year Ohio has ranked in the middle of the pack. Dawn Wallace-Pascoe of the Children's Defense Fund of Ohio says nearly 53-thousand more kids live in poverty today than during the start of the Great Recession in 2008.
The reports shows African-American Ohio children are three times as likely to live in poverty. The report recommends providing parents with multiple pathways to financial stability and ensuring access to high-quality early childhood education. The report also shows some signs of slight improvement in Ohio, such as a falling percentage of uninsured children and a declining teen birth rate. Full details are available online at aecf.org.
