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22 percent of American children lived in poverty last year

By Liz Goodwin | The Lookout – Tue, Sep 13, 2011

More than a fifth of Americans under the age of 18 lived in poverty last year, new U.S. Census figures show.

The poverty rate for children rose from 20.7 percent in 2009 to 22 percent last year, making kids more likely than any other age group to be poor. For children under the age of 6, the picture is even bleaker--25.3 percent of them lived in poverty last year. Overall, 15 percent of Americans were poor last year, the highest rate since 1993. (The poverty line is $22,314 pre-tax income for a family of four, not including non-cash benefits, like food stamps.)

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180 comments

Alex • 8 mths ago
Anyone earning more than $23K a year needs to pay their fair share. Obama 2012.
Evil Shenanigans • 8 mths ago
And how many of them had parents with a stogey hanging out of there mouth, or a $300 cell phone but there kids are hungry.....
- Danielle 7 mths ago
  Seriously? Troll. I worked in a school where we passed out bread to starving elementary school students. Then there parents ride up on bicycles and have them get into a little seat in back or one of those child bike trailers. When you talk to the parent they just got laid of from this or that job because of the recession so now they do odd jobs like landscaping, fence fixing etc. The mother's come in and volunteer at the school because they lost their job, they know the school is hurting for money, so they do all they can to help with their kids education. A very small % of poor people blow their money on $300 cell phones. I'd bet a months wages you don't live nor work with people in poverty.
1eyeopen • 8 mths ago
Unfortunately many of these unfortunate children don't have wise or educated parents to utilize all that exists as assistance for people like them. There are avenues, but you must use them.
- Joseph K 8 mths ago
  I bet most of those "uneducated" parents went to public school.
- R A 8 mths ago
  You user the plural of parents. Tese kids have no fathers and our tax dollars are being paid to these stupid women to ensure they stay in poverty. Its easier than getting a job! lol
- Squeegee 4 mths ago
  You need to understand something- they know the system well and that's why they're stuck in it- they factor in these subsidies when having all thees kids. I'm not being cruel, but they really don't understand initiative and handwork.
A Yahoo! User • 8 mths ago
america 1st..phuck israel
- Dragon 8 mths ago
  Wrong muslim trash, we will support our allies. Don't like it? Leave...
- Jacqueline O 7 mths ago
  He who curses Israel God will curse
Ken • 8 mths ago
If you can't feel empathy for those less well off because it's compassionate, then maybe you could look at it from a patriotic point of view. When there is the amount of income disparity that we have in this country today, we become weaker as a nation and our democracy begins to erode.
Ken Rickerman
Running Coac
MK-ULTRA • 8 mths ago
People care about poor American kids?!? Oh wait, no wait. An election looms ahead.
Dragon • 8 mths ago
You democrats and republicans have doomed us all. The republicans refuse to let the rich pay taxes. The democrats refuse to leave the healthcare system alone if they can't make it better. The whole mess is going down hill, more jobs were lost than created today. 31% chance of going into a recession in the next 365 days. But you know what? You guys bicker and argue among yourselves, I got hired today. Enjoy ruining each others lives, it is almost too late to start working together now.
- A Yahoo! User 8 mths ago
  Glad to see you recognize it isn't one or the other....it's BOTH of them.
  Two sides of the same coin in lock-step dragging our country towards plutocracy by daily violating the Constitution.
MICHAEL • 8 mths ago
I love the news written by 8th graders! Couldn't they take an exit off the information super highway and do some reporting?
Wendy • 8 mths ago
God, so many heartless, uncaring Americans? I thought I lived in the greatest country on Earth!
*********** • 8 mths ago
People that live in mud huts are tribal people and they choose to live like that, US poverty have been driven down by bad Liberal policies and governing.
- Wendy 8 mths ago
  "US poverty have (has) been driven down by bad CONSERVATIVE policies and governing. Who's been in charge for the majority of years since 1980? How could the liberals possibly be blamed for policies of tax and cut, trickle down economic policies this country has been living under since Reagan? Obviously the difference between liberals and conservatives, which are striking.
sd • 8 mths ago
Welcome to the Corporate States of America.
*********** • 8 mths ago
The country that feed & clothed the poor around the world have now become the poor.
patriotTX • 8 mths ago
When the length of the measuring stick is changed, measurements like this are nothing less than bogus.
Kenneth • 8 mths ago
The children of the US do not know poverty. When they live in a mud hut and eat once a week then they are in poverty. Poverty to us means food stamps and no xbox.
Rajadiablos • 8 mths ago
Tell the little beggars to join the republican party and look for a job.
Pat S. • 8 mths ago
Just raise my taxes and all that poverty will disappear, right?
Pat S. • 8 mths ago
Of course this Administration's job-killing policies have nothing to do with this situation.
digruntled in da swamp • 8 mths ago
Hey Libs, how is that re-distribution of wealth working? Obama you are a tool. Go back to Chicago and work for Rahm.
roger • 8 mths ago
sad to think we put a man on the moon and we can not feed our own children all because of politics.what a shame
FXDWG • 8 mths ago
Children live in poverty because their unmarried moms choose to collect a gov't check than get married or work for a living.

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