Thousands More Poor Children In Maryland Today Than During the Recession

July 23, 2015 by Mark Scott in Blog

The prospects for all of us in Maryland are poorer because 180,000 of our neighbors are experiencing a childhood where seeing a doctor is a rare occurrence, education opportunities are limited, and hunger is often a part of their daily existence.

One in seven Maryland children—14 percent—live in poverty, which can be defined in 2015 as a family of four making $24,250 or less. This total is up from 10 percent in 2008, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s “2015 Kids Count Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being.” During the recession, Maryland fared better than many states because so many people in the state work for the federal government that job loss was relatively low.  However, post-recession, the federal government has cut spending in the region, weakening Maryland’s economy while increasing the likelihood of rising poverty.

Even though child poverty is increasing in Maryland, the state received an above average assessment for the overall condition of children. After taking into consideration multiple factors, the state ranked 11th in the country. Maryland ranked 12th in a state-to-state comparison of economic wellbeing, 8th in education, 11th in health, and 17th in a comparison of community and family.

Overall, the state’s economy has benefited from a declining unemployment rate, job growth, and a rise in consumer spending. But a lot of people still aren’t feeling the recovery.  Families whose incomes are the lowest in the state, and people of color and their children are more likely to struggle to get by.

Black children are nearly four times more likely than white or Asian children to be living in poverty. Four in 10 black children live in poverty, compared to about three in 10 Hispanic children and one in 10 white or Asian children, according to a new Pew Research Center report.

Studies clearly show that boosting  family income, especially early in a child’s life, can have lasting positive effects on cognitive development, health, academic achievement and even adult work hours and earnings. In other words, reducing childhood poverty improves the health of our economy long-term. That is why Governor Hogan and the General Assembly should invest in a multi-faceted poverty reduction strategy to increase opportunity and help more families make ends meet so they can build a future. Policies that contribute to a shared rising standard of living enable all Marylanders to benefit from economic progress, and make this a stronger state.