New Report Shows Increase In Poor Children In New Jersey, Nationwide [AUDIO]

A new report on poor kids shows their numbers have increased in New Jersey by 24 percent since the year 2000.

The report comes from the Annie E. Casey foundation, a private charitable group. Cecilia Zalkind of the Association for Children of New Jersey says the numbers reinforce her group’s kids count survey, the latest out last December. Zalkind says what she sees as important about the Casey report is that it also highlights that there are very deep pockets of poverty in certain communities.

She cited the City of Newark as one troubling example, where kids count found 40 percent of the children living in poverty. The Casey report also showed an 11 percent increase in the number of poor children nationwide since 2000.

The report found that African-American, Latino and Native American children are six to nine times more likely to live in high poverty neighborhoods than white children.

The Casey report also recommends enlisting the aid of established institutions such as universities and hospitals in high-poverty areas to assist and support poor children.