- Poverty among children rises in Bergen, Passaic, By Carol Lawrence, December 10, 2010, The Record: “Poverty increased significantly for children in Bergen and Passaic counties over the last two years, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The poverty rate for Passaic County children ages 5 to 17 in families jumped to nearly 24 percent from 17.5 percent in 2007, and in Bergen County, the rate rose to more than 7 percent from 5.6 percent in 2007. Nationally, the rate rose in 295 counties and dropped in 19 counties over the two-year span, but there was no significant change in the majority of counties, according to figures released in the 2009 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates…”
- Ziebach County still poorest in America, By Mary Garrigan, December 10, 2010, Rapid City Journal: “Ziebach County on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in northwest South Dakota retained its infamous title as the poorest county in America in 2009, according to a new Census Bureau report released this week. Poverty rates for counties and school districts throughout the United States were part of the Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. In Ziebach County, 62 percent of its 2,552 residents live in poverty. The rate of children younger than 18 in the county was even higher — 76.7 percent. In the Midwest region, the seven poorest counties are in South Dakota, and two others — Bennett and Dewey counties — also made the list of the 30 Midwest counties with the highest poverty rates…”
- Somerset County schoolchildren face state’s highest poverty levels, By Michaelle Bond, December 9, 2010, Delmarva Daily Times: “More than one in four school-aged children in Somerset County and Baltimore City school districts live in poverty, the highest rates in the state, according to recently released census data. In these two school districts, plus those in Dorchester and Allegany counties, the percentage of students in poverty exceeds the country’s 17.9 percent average, according to 2009 census data released Wednesday…”
- As expected, Utah poverty rates rose from 2007 to 2009, By Julia Lyon, December 9, 2010, Salt Lake Tribune: “Following a nationwide trend, Utah saw poverty spike from 9.8 percent in 2007 to 11.7 percent in 2009, according to new data released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau. One of the largest increases came in Washington County, where the rate jumped from 8.9 percent in 2007 to 14.2 percent in 2009. Ruben Garcia, director of the Dixie Care and Share Food Pantry in St. George, wasn’t surprised to hear the numbers. ‘A lot of our donors from previous years are now clients,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of working poor in Washington County.’ The state’s most populous county, Salt Lake County, saw its poverty rate rise from 9 percent in 2007 to 10.7 percent two years later. The numbers were worse in Utah County, where poverty grew from 11.4 to 14.2 percent…”
Day: December 10, 2010
States and Funding for Pre-Kindergarten
- With tight budgets, states don’t scrimp on early education, By Cheryl Wetzstein, December 7, 2010, Washington Times: “Even as state legislators slice budgets for 2011, many lawmakers have crossed party lines to boost or maintain state spending on early child education programs, according to a report. The upbeat preschool funding report was released from Pre-K Now, a project of the Pew Center on the States. Still, 2011 promises to be another year for revenue-starved states to look for places – including early education – to reduce spending or demand the biggest bang for every buck…”
- State’s pre-kindergarten suffers funding decrease, By Christine Rogel, December 10, 2010, Las Cruces Sun-News: “Andrea Fierro depends on government-subsidized child care as a single mother with two children and a full-time job. Without it, she said she’d have to quit work and sign up for unemployment. ‘Here I am, a single mom trying to make ends meet,’ she said. ‘I would end up paying $900-plus for my two girls to go (to day care) and I don’t even bring that much home.’ An estimated 1,000 children depend on government-subsidized child care in Las Cruces. And at most child-care centers, 75 to 80 percent of children are subsidized, said Carolann Hoban, director of Living Hope Montessori, in an October interview. New Mexico’s pre-kindergarten program is experiencing its first significant funding decrease since the program began in fiscal year 2006, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Center on the States…”
October Metro Unemployment
Fewer cities report decline in unemployment rate, By Christopher S. Rugaber (AP), December 7, 2010, Washington Post: “Unemployment fell in more than half of the nation’s largest cities in October while rising in nearly a third, offering a mixed outlook for hiring. The jobless rate dropped in 200 of the 372 largest metro areas in October, compared to the previous month, the Labor Department said Tuesday. It rose in 108 and remained the same in 64. That’s the fewest areas showing improvement since July. In September, unemployment fell in 321 metro areas and rose in only 31…”