Report: More NC children living in poverty
Despite making significant gains in health and education in the last eight years, North Carolina ranks 34th nationally in overall child well-being, according to a report released Tuesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Posted — UpdatedTwenty-six percent of children in the state lived in poverty in 2012, according to the report, up from 21 percent in 2005. A third of the state's children have parents who lack secure employment, and 34 percent are living in households with a high housing-cost burden.
Thirty-seven percent of the state's children live in single-parent families.
"North Carolina ranks a low 39th for child poverty, and a greater share of our children are being raised in high-poverty neighborhoods than in West Virginia," Bell said.
The state's children fared better in the health rankings. The percentage of children without health insurance declined to 8 percent in 2012, and child and teen deaths declined to 27 per 100,000 in children ages 1 to 19 in 2010.
North Carolina slipped one spot overall in education, but there have been significant gains in high school graduation numbers. Between 2005-06 and 2011-12, the percentage of high school students not graduating on time declined by a quarter to 21 percent.
"A well-educated workforce is a powerful tool that drives economic growth," Bell said,. "By 2018, 59 percent of all jobs in North Carolina will require some education beyond high school."
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