More Connecticut children are living in poverty than three decades ago. That’s the finding of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 30th annual Kids Count survey of child well-being in the U.S.
In the 30 years of the survey, Connecticut has found itself in the top 10 states for child well-being. But the racial disparity has widened. One in five black and Latinx children now live in high poverty areas, compared to one in 100 white children.
“The results aren’t worth celebrating today because there are clearly concerns. Concerns grown out of increasing levels of poverty, the result of generations of institutional racism that lead to inequities. In addition to losing ground overall, we continue to be a state that has different outcomes for different populations,” said Beth Bye, the state’s early childhood commissioner.
Governor Ned Lamont created a state interagency taskforce to look into this problem and come up with programs to reverse institutional racism and provide support for vulnerable families.
Bye is on the taskforce. She says their focus is on housing, employment and childcare.
Disclosure: The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a supporter of public radio.
