Slight Improvement in Indiana Childhood Poverty

A new national report shows slight improvement for number of Indiana children living in poverty. (Image ctsy of Pixabay)

There’s good news in the fight against childhood poverty in Indiana, but advocates say more work needs to be done. According to a new study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the percentage of children living in concentrated poverty in Indiana is decreasing.

Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 10 percent of Hoosier children live in concentrated poverty, down from 13 percent five years ago. For the purpose of this study, researchers measured the number of children living in a neighborhood where 30 percent or more of the population is living in poverty. 

Regionally, Indiana and Illinois are tied for the lowest percentage of children living in concentrated poverty compared to neighboring states.

“This is good news, but there is more work to do to ensure all Hoosier children can thrive,” said Tami Silverman, president and CEO of Indiana Youth Institute. 

Silverman says the poverty snapshot from the Casey Foundation arrived the same week that a report from the American Community Survey found a much higher percentage of Indiana children living in poverty; more than 18 percent, based on 2018 data.

“We must understand the disparities in the data and work together to improve the conditions that foster the success of all children,” said Silverman.

The report shows nearly 12 percent of all children in the U.S. live in neighbors where concentrated poverty exists.

Click here to read the full report from the Annie B. Casey Foundation.