Recession will push nearly 40,000 more Washington State children into poverty

The recession will likely send nearly 40,000 more Washington State children into poverty and cost the economy billions of dollars, according to a forthcoming report from Washington Kids Count.

The increase of children in poverty, says the report, can be mitigated by implementing state policies that increase family economic security and sustaining current government assistance programs for children.

"When 2008 data become available, we expect to see an escalation of poverty rates. We also expect sharp increases in 2009 and 2010," said Lori Pfingst, lead author of the report and assistant director of Washington Kids Count, a research group at the University of Washington.

Other findings from the report, "The State of Washington’s Children":

Lori Pfingst [email protected]
T.J. Stutman [email protected]

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