Vicky Mack
Posted: February 26, 2015
What is the general condition of children in New Orleans? We know that if you look at the data, 39 percentNew Orleans children live in poverty–a total of 17 percentage points above the US average. We alsoknow that the salary of an adult worker in a childThe family determines their state of poverty. j, while mostNew Orleans parents work, and low-paying jobs are common. Scientific studies showtells us that child poverty can lead to even more brain trauma in young peopleand now scholars say soPoverty can be the greatest threat to healthy brain development in children. without saneBraindevelopment, our children are at risk of lifelong learning, memory and self-regulation difficulties.Innovation is now needed to break the cycle of poverty that plagues poor households.
In 2013, about 78,000 children under the age of 18 lived in New Orleans. This is a significant decrease from 2000, when over 129,000 children lived in New Orleans.EUUnfortunately, while the number of children in New Orleans is significantly lower than it was before Katrina, the poverty rate is not. New Orleans' child poverty rate fell in 2007 but has since risen to pre-Katrina levels.Today, 39% of New Orleans children live in poverty.
child poverty rates
Those:DATA CENTER analysis of US Census Bureau data from Census 2000 SF3, American Community Survey 2007, and 1-year estimates from American Community Survey 2013.
n.s. = In the bar from 1999, n.a. points out that the fluctuations between 1999 and 2007 are not significant; in the bar from 2007, n.a. points out that the difference between 2007 and 2013 is not significant; and in the bar from 2013, n.a. shows that the variation between 1999 and 2013 is not significant.
New Orleans' child poverty rate is 17 percentage points higher than the national average. It is also higher than many comparable American cities. Among 39 cities with populations of 275,000 to 600,000, New Orleans has the ninth highest rate of child poverty. This is of particular concern given that many of the cities with the highest rates of child poverty, such as Cleveland, are not experiencing an economic renaissance like New Orleans.youIn addition, child poverty in New Orleans is significantly higher than in many cities to which New Orleans might be compared, such as Tampa and Raleigh.
Child poverty rates in selected medium-sized cities, 2013
Those:THE DATA CENTER Analysis of US Census Bureau data from the 2013 American Community Survey, 1-year estimates
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For a complete list of the 39 cities with populations between 275,000 and 600,000 and their child poverty rates, see the downloadable worksheet accompanying this report.
The relationship between poverty and family structure
By definition, child poverty is a function of household income. In other words, the wages of adult family members determine whether children live in poverty.
Numerous studies show that family structures themselves are strongly linked to economic status.iiiFor example, high-income and educated couples are more likely to marry and stay married than low-income couples.4Therefore, in cities with low child poverty rates, children are more likely to live in married couples.
Child poverty rates and married families, 2013, in cities with populations of 275,000 to 600,000
Those:THE DATA CENTER Analysis of US Census Bureau data from the 2013 American Community Survey, 1-year estimates
Note: The percentage of children living with married parents is taken from all children living with at least one parent. The universe does not include children living in households without the presence of a parent, e.g. B. Children living with grandparents or other relatives.
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Explore data on child poverty and married couples and single parents with children in the 39 citiessee interactiveis attached to this letter.
These data are not intended to suggest that single-parent families cause child poverty or that marriage is a solution to poverty. On the other hand, Harvard sociologist William Julius Wilson explains that a job is often one of the many requirements for a stable marriage.v, viAs real incomes for many Americans have declined over the past 50 years, men affected by these changes are less likely to marry.VIII
Children living with parents by family type
Those:DATA CENTER analysis of US Census Bureau data from Census 2000 SF3 and 1-year estimates from American Community Survey 2013
n.s. = the variation between 2000 and 2013 is not significant
Note: These percentages do not include children living in single-parent households, e.g. B. Children living with grandparents or other family members. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
In New Orleans, the proportion of children in single-parent families has remained stubbornly high at about 48% since 2000. While the economic prospects for many mothers and children in New Orleans are not good, marriage is unlikely for them. less than half of all African American working-age men are employed.VIIIJesse James' 1988 song titledI can do it aloneIt includes the lyrics: "I can do badly on my own. I don't need help starving." This letter summarizes the desirability of marriage for many poor New Orleans families.
While overall poverty and child poverty in New Orleans have remained unchanged since 1999, the economic situation of married couples has improved while the economic situation of single parents has worsened. The poverty rate for single parents in New Orleans rose from 52% in 1999 to 58% in 2013, while the poverty rate for couples with children fell from 11% to 8%.
Overall, the poverty rate for single mother families in New Orleans (58%) is well above the national average of 41%.
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According to 2013 census data, 154 children live in group housing in New Orleans, compared to 623 children in 2000. than children living in group housing. Housesix
Poverty situation of families with children by type
Those:DATA CENTER analysis of US Census Bureau data from Census 2000 SF3 and 1-year estimates from American Community Survey 2013
n.s. = the variation between 1999 and 2013 is not significant
The link between poverty and healthy brain development
The high level of poverty among children in New Orleans is a concern for the city's long-term economic prospects because of the impact of poverty on children's brain development. Research shows that childhood poverty can lead to chronic, toxic stress that alters the architecture of the developing brain. Children living in poverty are much more likely to be exposed to violence, chronic neglect and the accumulated burden of economic hardship. This type of chronic stress causes prolonged activation of the stress response system, which in turn can disrupt the development of brain architecture, leading to lifelong difficulties in learning, memory, and self-regulation.xIn short, scientists argue that poverty may be the greatest threat to healthy brain development in children.XI
photo source:Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved February 10, 2015 from http://wellcommons.com/users/jestevens/photos/2011/jul/22/217506/
In short, scholars arguePovertypossibly the greatest threat to healthy brain development in children.”
working families with children
Despite high poverty rates, single mothers in New Orleans are more likely than not to be employed. Overall, 67% of single mothers in New Orleans work. Certainly all parents of children under the age of 18 in New Orleans are more likely than not to work. 82% of families with children in New Orleans have at least one working parent. And in 66% of all married families with children, both parents work.
Employment situation of parents with children by type of family, 2013
Those:DATA CENTER analysis of US Census Bureau data from Census 2000 SF3 and 1-year estimates from American Community Survey 2013
Given that 82% of families with children in New Orleans have at least one working parent, how come 39% of all children in New Orleans live in poverty? Part of the answer may lie in the sheer number of low-wage jobs available in the New Orleans area. A larger proportion, 12%, of the New Orleans area's full-time, year-round employees make less than $17,500 per year, compared to just 8% nationally. And female workers who live in the same city as New Orleans are more likely than male workers to earn low wages. According to 2013 Census data, more than 64,000 employed women in New Orleans made less than $17,500 in the last 12 months from full-time or part-time jobs.
Number of full-time and part-time employees by income group, New Orleans, 2013
Those:DATA CENTER analysis of US Census Bureau data from Census 2000 SF3 and 1-year estimates from American Community Survey 2013
poverty geographies
In New Orleans, poverty is not evenly distributed across the city but is concentrated in specific neighborhoods. Because household composition is highly correlated with poverty, the geography of poverty and single-parent households follows a consistent spatial pattern, as shown in the maps below.XI
Poverty Rate by Census Block Group, New Orleans, 2007-2011
Those:DATA CENTER analysis of 2007-2011 American Community Survey data
Percentage of Single Parents by Census Block Group New Orleans, 2010
Those:DATA CENTER Analysis of 2010 Census Data
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For maps of low-wage workers, new-car families, public transit, expensive renters, low-educated adults, and grandparent caregivers, visit our Geographies of Poverty collection athttps://www.datacenterresearch.org/maps/poverty/
Conclusion
According to researchers at Harvard University's National Scientific Council on Child Development, “The future of any society depends on its ability to foster the healthy development of the next generation. But poverty can impede healthy development by causing excessive or prolonged activation of stress response systems in the body (particularly the brain), with adverse effects on learning, behavior and health across the lifespan.”XIII More than a third of New Orleans children live in poverty, even though the vast majority of New Orleans children have at least one working parent. If we are to drive our progress in building a healthy, prosperous, and resilient post-Katrina New Orleans, leaders must focus not just on job creation, but on quality job creation. Jobs must offer decent wages, a degree of job security and the prospect of career advancement.xivAlso, the poor need to be connected to these quality jobs. | COST OF LIVING AND REASONABLE WAGESGiven the current cost of living in New Orleans, two sources estimate that it takes a single worker about $22 an hour to support a child.xixEven a single worker with no children needs $14.85 an hour to live in New Orleans.XX |
Lifting a mother out of poverty can have a major impact on society, especially in New Orleans, where almost 50% of children living with their parents live with single mothers. Women also contribute to the income of 74% of married families with children in New Orleans. Therefore, improving mothers' access to quality education, vocational training and childcare are some of the ways to ensure that large numbers of children make a successful transition to adulthood.XV
Innovation is needed to break the cycle of poverty that plagues poor households. Innovative approaches will recognize that the situation of parents matters and that to improve outcomes for poor children we need to be responsive to their needs and those of their parents. An innovative program in Atlanta, sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, uses a two-generation approach to provide children with access to quality early childhood education while helping parents find better jobs and build stronger families .XVIThis two-generation approach and others like it across the country are still in their infancy.xviiHowever, the theoretical rationale for these programs is strong, their early results are promising, and the time has come for innovation, experimentation and further study.xvii
Data Sources/Methodology
All data are from Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF3) and American Community Survey 2007 and 2013 (one-year files). Statistical significance tests were calculated at a 95% confidence level for all data from the American Community Survey and Census 2000 SF3.
An "ns" indicates that the differences between two periods are not significant and are therefore due to sample variability rather than an actual change in population characteristics.
Significance tests require estimates and their standard errors.
Standard errors for the ACS estimates were calculated using the formulas in Appendix 3 of What General Data Users Should Know, available at: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/handbooks/ACSGeneralHandbook.pdf.
Standard errors for the 2000 Census SF3 data were calculated using the formulas in Chapter 8 of the technical documentation available at http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf3.pdf.
Standard errors for the 2000 Census and 2010 SF1 Census data are zero.
The significance test was calculated using the formulas in Appendix 4 of What General Data Users Need to Know.
technical advice
Information on the children living with the parents by type of family and on the professional position of parents with children by type of family only represents families with a child under the age of 18, biological child, stepchild or adopted child of the head of the family. Data on poverty status of families with children by type refers to families with children under the age of 18 who are related to the head of household by birth, marriage or adoption. In order to ensure the comparability of the data from 2000 and 2013, the census table of the "relative" children was chosen for the calculation of the poverty status.
Footnotes can be found in the pdf report available for download at the top right of the page.