Twelve percent of children in Pennsylvania live in concentrated poverty according to “Children Living in High Poverty, Low-Opportunity Neighborhoods,” a new KIDS COUNT® data snapshot released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Pennsylvania is one of just 10 states where this measure is increasing.
“Children whose neighborhoods have quality schools, abundant job opportunities, reliable transportation and safe places for recreation are better positioned for success in adulthood,” said Kari King, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. “However, one in eight Pennsylvania children live in high-poverty neighborhoods that lack these assets.”
King said one of the most important factors influencing the future success of any child is the quality of his or her education, but Pennsylvania continues to have the widest funding gap between wealthy and poor school districts of any state in the country.
Growing up in a community of concentrated poverty — that is, a neighborhood where 30 percent or more of the population is living in poverty — is one of the greatest risks to child development. Alarmingly, more than 8.5 million US children live in these settings.