[New Jersey] More N.J. children live in poverty

From The Asbury Park Press

Study finds increase from 2000 to 2004

TRENTON — "New Jersey Kids Count 2006: The State of the Children in Our State," the 14th annual report on children's well-being, contains some grim statistics: more kids were growing up in poverty and without health insurance in 2004 than four years earlier.

But Cecilia Zalkind, executive director of the Association for Children of New Jersey, which compiled the data, said Thursday there is an upside.

"On average, our students score higher on national achievement tests, they are more likely to attend high quality preschool, mothers and infants are by some measures healthier than children in other parts of the country, and our adolescents are less likely to drop out of school or be without a job or schooling in their teen and young adult years," Zalkind said.

She was also pleased that Gov. Corzine and the state's child advocate, Kevin Ryan, Corzine's choice to head the Department of Human Services, attended the news conference and promised to work on remedies.

Zalkind said she remembers only one other governor attending the release of a "Kids Count" report. In 1992, then-Gov. James J. Florio was present when the first report was issued, she said.

Disparities "continue to exist between children growing up in wealthy families and those in families struggling to make ends meet," the report states.

Six fourth-grade students from across New Jersey attended the event to read their prize-winning letters on what children need most. The children, who presented their letters to Corzine, touched on topics ranging from reducing gang violence to feeding the hungry to starting a football league for girls.