FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 13, 2018
CONTACT: Wenona Wolf, Communication and Development Manager
wwolf@kidsforward.net, 608-284-0580, ext. 304

MADISON, WI – The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that an unacceptable number of children in Wisconsin are living in poverty. 181,828 children—enough children to fill Lambeau Field more than two times—experience poverty on a daily basis. Even more alarming, poverty affects children of color at disproportionate rates throughout the state. This persistent gap in well-being shows the need for lawmakers and candidates to pursue solutions that will not only address Wisconsin’s overall poverty issues, but also ensure that people of color have access to opportunity.

“For every child and family to be successful, Wisconsin needs jobs that pay family-supporting wages, targeted support for working parents, a robust public education system, and affordable, high-quality health care,” said Ken Taylor, ED/CEO of Kids Forward. “All these foundational components are less available to children and families of color, in part because of policy choices made by our society which have then led to racial and structural inequities. These inequities have to be interrupted and eliminated. There has to be change.”

The Census figures released today show that 14.5% of Wisconsin’s children experience poverty. For children of color, the rates are even starker:

• The Black child poverty rate (35.9%) was nearly four times the rate for White non-Hispanic children (9.1%).
• The child poverty rate among Hispanic children (26.7%) was nearly three times that of White non-Hispanic children.
• The poverty rate among American Indian children (37.8%) was more than four times the rate among White non-Hispanic children.

Other data released today shows the extent to which Wisconsin continues to experience extreme economic disparities based on race. African American households in the state had a median income of $29,340 in 2017, less than half the $62,286 earned by White non-Hispanic households.

Wisconsin also has wide racial gaps in access to health insurance. The share of Black and Asian residents who are uninsured is almost twice the share of White non-Hispanic residents. For Hispanic and Native American residents, the uninsured rate is about four times the rate for White non-Hispanics.

Kids Forward advocates for a two-generation approach to generate greater economic stability for children and families of color in Wisconsin through multifaceted policies that create more jobs at a living wage, healthier children and families, and better education outcomes. More specifically, the organization recommends increasing the minimum wage, reversing cuts to Wisconsin’s Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income working families, expanding BadgerCare to cover all adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level, and increasing investments in early care and education.

“If Wisconsin is going to thrive, every person in the state needs to have the opportunity to achieve economic success,” Taylor added. “It’s imperative that Wisconsin policy makers and leaders make this a priority, and it is equally important that voters hold them accountable for addressing this issue—the nearly 200,000 children living in poverty should not be ignored.”

Kids Forward also urges Wisconsin residents to vote in November’s election and prioritize racial justice when they go to the polls. The organization recently launched a new campaign called Race to the Polls. More information about the campaign can be found at www.racetothepolls.org.

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Kids Forward advocates for effective, long-lasting solutions that break down barriers to success for children and families in Wisconsin. Using research and a community-informed approach, Kids Forward works to help every kid, every family, and every community thrive.