{Kids Count Study] Kids' poverty rate rises in Alabama

From the Montgomery Advertiser

The Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM -- A national child advocacy group says Alabama has lost ground in bringing children out of poverty but has fewer teens giving birth or dropping out of high school.

Still, the Kids Count report released Wednesday ranked Alabama 48th for the well-being of children, ahead of only Louisiana and Mississippi.

The report, produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, tracks indicators of children's health, education and economic status. This year's report is based primarily on 2003 statistics.

For that year, 24 percent of Alabama children were poor, the same as in 1990. The number had improved to 21 percent in 2000, according to the report, but worsened during the next three years. Nationwide, child poverty nudged up slightly, from 17 percent in 2000 to 18 percent in 2003.

On the plus side, the report said the number of teens who quit high school dropped from 13 percent in 2000 to 10 percent in 2003. And the state's teen birth rate was down, from 61 births per 1,000 in 2000 to 55 in 2003.

"While we continue year to year to see that things do look stagnant, you have to look at it over the last decade, and we have made some major improvements," said Apreill Hartsfield of Voices for Alabama's Children, a Montgomery advocacy group. Hartsfield works on the state report.

Alabama is tied at 36 with California, Oregon and Washington for the percentage of children in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment. However, the lost ground on getting children out of poverty has broad ramifications.

"Children who grow up in poverty are the most likely to repeat that cycle and the least likely to escape it," Hartsfield said. "They're more likely to drop out of school and become disconnected with positive influences in society."

According to the report, 264,000 Alabama children were living below the federal poverty line, which was $18,660 in 2003 for two parents and two children.