Children are limited by their family's low income status. Being poor means living on an income that renders a family unable to purchase enough food for an adequate diet. One out of every three adolescents who lives in poverty has no health insurance. Poverty hurts Oklahoma children. Poor children are more likely than non-poor children to eat an inadequate diet, to stay cold in the winter, and to receive little health care.
Poor children face bleak futures.
Poor children are more likely to have reduced access to transportation, communication and quality education. Poor children are more likely than non-poor children to score low on standardized tests, drop out of school and face resulting severe economic and social consequences including less employment opportunities, poor earning ability, higher rates of substance abuse, and higher unemployment. A Comprehensive Approach to Poverty Reduction and Community Revitalization Oklahoma has 20 Community Action Agencies that are committed to providing quality community programs and responsive services to a growing number of working poor clients across the state. Income Trends Inequality has been increasing in Oklahoma for nearly two decades. The gap between the rich and the poor increased faster than in all but 6 states.