Poverty

Indicator Definition
The percentage of children (ages 0 – 12 years) who live in a family with an
annual income below the federal poverty level, which in 2007 was $20,650
for a family of four.

Children living in families with income below the federal poverty level in Colorado5

Children living in families with income below the federal poverty level by race in Colorado6

Indicator Significance
Low-income children are at risk for a range of health-related problems, including lack of health insurance coverage, lack of access to comprehensive health care services and poorer health outcomes. Nationwide, more than 13 million children under age 18 live in families that fall below the federal poverty level. The number of children in poor families changed little between 2004 and 2007 and the national child poverty rate reached 18 percent.¹

Colorado Specifics 
Poverty dramatically affects Colorado’s children and their overall well-being, contributing to poor health and low academic performance. Colorado ranks 17^th out of 50 states for children living below the federal poverty level, with 14 percent or approximately 126,000 children living in poor families.² Colorado’s child poverty rate has inched up slightly in recent years. Child poverty rates are roughly six times higher for black and five times higher for Hispanic children compared to white children. While the poverty rates for Colorado black and Hispanic children are higher than national levels, the poverty level for white children is much lower than the national average, creating greater ethnic and racial disparities in Colorado.

Promising Initiatives
In Colorado
The Colorado Children’s Campaign gives voice to 1.2 million Colorado children. Although the Campaign advocates for the needs of all children, a particular focus is on those living in low-income families. With little disposable income, these families struggle to gain access to adequate K – 12 education and basic health care services for their children. The Colorado Children’s Campaign has a 23-year history in Colorado and during this time has promoted the passage of such programs as Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) and a range of public health initiatives designed to promote the health and well-being of the state’s children.³ 

Elsewhere
The Skillman Foundation in Detroit, a private non-profit organization, strives to create nurturing environments for children. A majority of Detroit’s children live in poverty. The Skillman Foundation funds programs that target quality education, safe communities and social opportunities to enhance the lives of Detroit’s impoverished children. By identifying and rewarding high-achieving schools, the foundation can then promote the replication of their programs in better-performing schools in other districts. The foundation also partners with local agencies to create more child-friendly environments in neighborhoods with large numbers of children but few resources.⁴ 

Children living in families with incomes below the federal poverty level⁷

Text

1. U.S. Census Bureau. Historical Poverty Tables.
   
2. Population estimates in this sentence come from the Current Population Survey (2005-2007) and refer to children ages 0 to 12 years.
   
3. Colorado Children’s Campaign.
   
4. The Skillman Foundation. 
   

Charts

5. Source: Colorado Health Institute analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, 1999-07.
   
6. Source: Colorado Health Institute analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, 2005–07.
   
7. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2005–2007.