New Report: Effect of the Recession on Child Well-Being

Posted by on November 29, 2010

Recession will have long term impact on kids’ health: report

The bipartisan child advocacy group First Focus has released a new report that underscores the lasting impact of even temporary spells of poverty on children’s health in the long run.

The Effect of the Recession on Child Well-Being, authored by researchers from PolicyLab at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, examines four areas—health, food security, housing stability and maltreatment—and reviews the relationship of each to the well-being of children during recessions both past and present.

The main report finding indicates that it will take years for families to recover to pre-recession income levels, with low-income families struggling even longer. As a result of increased poverty, approximately 43 percent of families with children report that they are struggling to afford stable housing. The study also found a dramatic increase in the number of households classified as “food insecure” during this recession. Almost a quarter (21 percent) of all households with children fell into this category in 2008, the highest percentage since 1995 when yearly measurement started, and a nearly 25 percent increase from 2007.

“While there has been much discussion about housing issues for families during this recession, I’m not sure many people know how profound the food insecurity issues have been, where as many as 74 percent of children in some of our communities are now relying on food stamps to put dinner on the table,” said David Rubin, M.D., M.S.C.E., director of PolicyLab.

“The evidence is also strong that those families who entered the recession in poverty will take much longer to rebound, demonstrating that we have a long road ahead even as the economy improves.”

The report also discusses the benefit of government programs during times of recession.

“The findings of this report continue to shed light on the critical role that safety net programs are playing in reducing the devastating impacts of the recession on children,” said Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus.” “As our nation’s leaders guide us down the path to economic recovery, it is critical that they preserve important programs, such as Medicaid and CHIP, in order to continue protecting our most vulnerable children.”

The report indicates that in other areas, such as housing, better safety nets still need to be developed. In 2008, nearly two out of every five renters spent 35 percent or more of their income on housing. The number of homeless families with children who spent time in a shelter rose by 30 percent between 2007 and 2009.

To view the full report, visit here.

http://www.firstfocus.net/library/reports/the-effect-of-the-recession-on-child-well-being