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National Center for Children in Poverty:
This fact sheet includes children who live apart from both parents (for example, foster children or children being raised by grandparents).
Previous versions of this fact sheet counted children living apart from parents differently; therefore, comparisons with versions published prior to September 2006 are not valid.
Despite low levels of unemployment, average household income has declined substantially since 2000. The number of children living in low-income families has continued to rise.
Programs that provide supports for low-income, working parents can increase income and child well-being.
26% of children in low-income families---7.3 million---have at least one parent who works part-time or full-time, part-year.
19% of children in low-income families---5.5 million---do not have an employed parent.
The majority (57%) of low-income parents only working full-time for part of the year reported they could not find full-year work.
Almost half (44%) of low-income parents with no employment reported they were not working because they were taking care of their families.
An additional 31% of low-income parents with no employment reported they were not working because they had an illness or disability that kept them from working.
Public policy can support low-income working parents---and therefore their children---by providing relief from work-related expense (such as child care and transportation), increasing income, and strengthening the safety net for temporary unemployment spells.
Almost one in three employed, low-income parents works in the service industry---jobs that often pay the minimum wage.
Posted on October 5, 2006 01:25 PM
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