From: Nigel.Allen@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Marian Wright Edelman Statement on Child Poverty Increase
Organization: Echo Beach
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 01:19:34 GMT

Here is a press release from the Children's Defense Fund.
 
 Marian Wright Edelman Statement on Child Poverty Increase
 To: National Desk
 Contact: Stella Ogata, 202-662-3609; or Cliff Johnson,
          202-662-3538, both of the Children's Defense Fund

   WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement
of Marian Wright Edelman, president, Children's Defense Fund, on the
child poverty increase in 1991 to the highest level since 1965; CDF
calls for immediate enactment of initiative to combat childhood
hunger and strengthen families:

   Due to the leap in the number of poor children in 1991 reported by
the Census Bureau today, America now has more children living in
poverty than in any year since 1965 -- a fact that demands immediate
action and long-term and comprehensive plans to combat child poverty
from candidates from all parties at all levels of government.
   Nearly 1 million children were thrown into poverty in 1991,
raising the total number of poor children to 14.3 million.  Two
thirds of the children added to the ranks of the poor in 1991 were
white.  The child poverty rate jumped from 20.6 percent in 1990 to
21.8 percent in 1991.  Poverty among American children now has
risen for three consecutive years and in nine of the last 15 years.
   In 1991, poverty increased sharply among all types of families
with children regardless of race and ethnicity, family type,
educational attainment of family head or geographic region.
   Such tragically high and rising child poverty rates are yet
another indication of the nation's misguided priorities, our
failure to invest in our next generation of citizens, parents and
workers, and our failure to live up to the family values we profess
to hold.  This is the year for our politicians to make good on their
promises to value families.  Just as we have broken free of Cold War
threats from external enemies, America's hopes for future stability
and prosperity are being destroyed by the spread of deprivation,
hopelessness and lack of opportunity within our own borders.
   The dramatic jump in child poverty rates for 1991 is a reminder
that even supposedly mild recessions have a devastating impact on
children.  Yet the growth in child poverty is not just the product
of a bad economic year, and the 1980s proved that the restoration of
economic growth alone will not resolve or reverse the problem.  Only
a fundamental change in national investment priorities and a
commitment to concerted long-term strategies to combat child poverty
will rescue this generation of children from the debilitating health,
educational and other consequences of growing up poor in America.
   As an immediate and vitally important first step in combating
child poverty, the Congress should pass and the president should sign
the Downey-Panetta Children's Initiative that was approved by the
House of Representatives in early August.  This legislation will
provide essential increases in food stamp assistance to hungry
children, providing a stronger economic foundation for millions of
poor families.  The Children's Initiative also will help states
strengthen and preserve families while protecting children from
abuse and neglect.  This is an obvious, concrete opportunity for the
congress and the president to demonstrate their commitment to family
values and the nation's children.
   The 1991 increase in child poverty was not inevitable, and this
nation is not powerless to combat it.  America's wealth has nearly
doubled since 1965, and yet as many children are poor today as were
poor then.  The persistence of such pervasive poverty in the richest
nation in the world is a moral disgrace.  When will we begin to
value our children as well as our families and begin the essential
task of eliminating child poverty in America?

         Table 1: Poverty status of persons younger than 18
                       (Numbers in thousands)

           TOTAL         POOR            RATE

   1991    65,918        14,341          21.8%
   1990    65,049        13,431          20.6

   1989    64,144        12,590          19.6
   1988    63,747        12,455          19.5
   1987    63,294        12,843          20.3
   1986    62,948        12,876          20.5
   1985    62,876        13,010          20.7
   1984    62,447        13,420          21.5
   1983    62,334        13,911          22.3
   1982    62,345        13,647          21.9
   1981    62,449        12,505          20.0
   1980    62,914        11,543          18.3

   1979    63,375        10,377          16.4
   1978    62,311         9,931          15.9
   1977    63,137        10,288          16.2
   1976    64,028        10,273          16.0
   1975    65,079        11,104          17.1
   1974    66,134        10,156          15.4
   1973    66,959         9,642          14.4
   1972    67,930        10,284          15.1
   1971    68,816        10,551          15.3
   1970    69,159        10,440          15.1

   1969    69,090         9,691          14.0
   1968    70,385        10,954          15.6
   1967    70,408        11,656          16.6
   1966    70,218        12,389          17.6
   1965    69,986        14,676          21.0
   1964    69,711        16,051          23.0
   1963    69,181        16,005          23.1
   1962    67,722        16,963          25.0
   1961    66,121        16,909          25.6
   1960    65,601        17,634          26.9

   1959    64,315        17,552          27.3


   Table 2: Poverty Rate of Families With Children Younger Than 18
                            1990 and 1991

                                                    Percentage
                                                      Point
                                                    Difference:
                                                    1991 minus
                          1990           1991           1990

   Total                  16.4%          17.7%         +1.3%

   White                  12.6           13.7          +1.1
   Black                  37.2           39.2          +2.0
   Latino                 31.0           33.7          +2.7

   Northeast              15.4           16.2          +0.8
   Midwest                15.3           16.1          +0.8
   South                  18.6           19.6          +1.0
   West                   15.2           17.7          +2.5

   City                   25.0           26.6          +1.6
   Suburb                 10.0           11.9          +1.9
   Rural                  18.9           18.7          -0.2

   Married Parents         7.8            8.3          +0.5
   Mother Only            44.5           47.1          +2.6
   Father Only            18.8           19.6          +0.8

   High School Dropout    37.0           41.2          +4.2
   High school Graduate   14.6           16.6          +2.0
   Some College            8.5           10.0          +1.5
   College Graduate        3.0            3.1          +0.1
 -30-

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