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Pending report shows kids slipping into poverty

• Published March 23, 2009

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A new report in the works shows that the recession could push another 40,000 children into poverty in Washington.

That’s the conclusion of the research group Washington Kids Count, based at the University of Washington. It is preparing to release its report at a time the Legislature is about to release a budget that calls for sharp cuts in almost all areas of government.

The budget also is expected to include deep cuts to the health-care and human-services safety net to help bridge a $9 billion shortfall between expected revenues and what it would have cost to carry forward spending in the 2009-11 budget with pay raises for workers and other costs increased to reflect inflation. You can click here to see the draft report yourself.

The report is based on data from 2007 and expectations of what rising unemployment and other trends have on children situated in poorer families.

Lori Pfingst, lead author of the report and assistant director of Washington Kids Count, said in a news release: “When 2008 data become available, we expect to see an escalation of poverty rates. We also expect sharp increases in 2009 and 2010.”

Her release says “children of color, rural children and those from immigrant families would be disproportionately affected. In Washington State, 226,000 children, or 16 percent of the population, live in families with incomes below the federal poverty line, which was $21,200 for a family of four in 2008.”

The report suggests steps to improve policies that support low-income families to work, including removal of disincentives such as policies that disqualify a person from receiving assistance when working in jobs that pay a little. It also recommends keeping benefits needed by children, including health care coverage, early learning programs, paid family leave (which actually doesn’t exist in fact, despite existing in law), and food stamps eligibility.