Census: One in five Nebraska children in poverty

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September 22nd, 2011

Omaha, NE – New U.S. Census numbers out Thursday show Nebraska’s median household income gained nearly one percent in 2010, growing to $48,408. That’s a gain of more than $300 per family, the largest proportional gain of any state. The only larger increase was the District of Columbia.

Almost one in five children in Nebraska are now living in poverty, according to new Census figures. (Photo courtesy State of Nebraska)

But the numbers also showed the percentage of Nebraska children living in poverty climbed 3% to almost one in five. The child-advocacy group Voices for Children in Nebraska released a statement calling the numbers “alarming” and said they become even more so when we look at “disparities among racial and ethnic groups.”
Voices for Children reported that while 14.5% of white children are living in poverty, that number jumps to 52.2% of African American children, 49.7% of Native American children and 33.8% of Hispanic children in 2010.

In the statement, Executive Director Carolyn Rooker said, “I don’t know how our policy makers at both the state and federal level can continue to ignore this growing crisis.”

Some material for this report was provided by the Associated Press.

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