Children in poverty down by 59-percent, but there's more to this story.

There are 59-percent fewer children living in poverty in the U.S. today than there were in 1993. One may think this is due to rising wages and a generally stronger economy. The reality is that economic factors account for only 33-percent of this historic decline. Higher rates of employment and increased state minimum wages have played a role, but it has not benefited everyone equally.

In the past 20 years, the average salary has risen by 13-percent, but that increase did not affect rates of child poverty. That is to say, most poor families did not experience significant wage growth, and it is mostly middle and upper-class Americans who see their wealth increasing.

What has been most impactful by far is the network of social safety net programs available to needy families. Programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program and The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) protected 6.3 million children in 2019. In total, social programs account for nearly half of the total reduction in child poverty we have measured in the past two decades.

In fact, almost every safety net program does more to reduce child poverty than it did a quarter-century ago, either because it raised benefits, expanded eligibility, or made it easier to enroll. If Mississippi wants to reduce child poverty, taking these steps in federal safety net programs that allow state options is the place to start.

These programs have been critical but rely on social security cards and personal tax ID numbers to register for benefits, leaving many children still out of reach. Children of immigrant families and families without stable employment have limited access to assistance. The children of these families are being punished for the conditions of their guardians. Research suggests that the best way to protect these children is to make social programs more accessible to immigrant and unemployed parents.

Unfortunately, there is not one place to apply for all safety net programs in Mississippi. You can apply for several here: https://www.access.ms.gov/Application?lang=en.

If you need help with information or navigating benefits, you can contact us at info@mschildcare.org

Also, you can learn about and apply for child care assistance, a very beneficial program for low-income working parents, here: https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/eccd/parent-information/