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Child Poverty in Westchester
Advisory Council BreakfastJanuary 28, 2009
Poverty Hurts Children
• Poor nutrition, poor health
• Insecure and inadequate housing
• Lower educational outcomes
• High stress and family dysfunction
Continued cycle of poverty
Child Poverty Hurts Us
• Child poverty costs US $500 billion per year.
• Child poverty in Westchester:
$ 7.5 billion over ten years
Hiding in plain sight
Route 287 = 12.7 miles
19,690 children in poverty
1,550 childrenper mile
Children Are Poorer
Poor Children in Every Community
Provided by the Westchester County Department of Planning, 1999Source: US Census Bureau, Decennial Census, 2000
Significant Income Gap
Married Couple withChildren Under 18
$134,656
Married Couple withChildren Under 18
$134,656
Male HeadOf HouseholdWith ChildrenUnder 18
$51,625
Male HeadOf HouseholdWith ChildrenUnder 18
$51,625
Female HeadOf HouseholdWith ChildrenUnder 18
$29,330
Female HeadOf HouseholdWith ChildrenUnder 18
$29,330
2007 Median Incomes in Westchester by Family Type
Poverty Varies by Race
Children’s Poverty Rate by Race - 2007
Poverty Underestimated
• Not everyone is counted• 10-20% under estimate of
undocumented immigrants
• Poverty measure is imperfect• Family Self Sufficiency = +/- 200% FPL
Children at 200% Poverty Level
or Below
53,269
Children at 200% Poverty Level
or Below
53,269
Children at 125% Poverty Level
or Below
28,527
Children at 125% Poverty Level
or Below
28,527
Children at 100%
Poverty Levelor Below
19,690
Children at 100%
Poverty Levelor Below
19,690
Number of Children Who Are Poor by% of Poverty Level - 2007
Almost one out of four children in Westchester County are 200% or below the Federal Poverty Level
200% of the Federal Poverty Level is$42,400 for a family of four
What Can We Do?
• Learn what works:– Policies matter: Senior citizens
Policies changed senior poverty
What Can We Do?
• Learn what works:– Policies matter: Senior citizens– Efforts in other communities
• Make ending child poverty a priority• Take the first steps…
