Social conditions are improving. The region's housing market is booming. And the greater Washington technology sector has been a major force behind the region's robust economy and a recognized leader in the global marketplace. However, not all households or communities in this region have shared in this prosperity. These same families must raise their children in fragile environments that are not conducive to helping prepare children for bright futures.
Children are the main casualties when families and communities are left behind.
Children who are born into or raised in distressed settings have few choices. They are uniquely and especially vulnerable to poverty, even in these exceptional economic times. While the national poverty rate for older Americans has dropped by two-thirds over the past three decades, the child poverty rate has risen by 40 percent over the same time period. And in the Washington region, the child poverty rate in each of the jurisdictions was consistently and significantly higher than that jurisdiction's poverty rate for the population as a whole. However, the rest of the communities in the Washington region, particularly those located near and outside of the Capital Beltway, are home to increasing numbers of struggling families.