Report: More than 1 in 4 Tenn. children live in poverty

JACKSON, Tenn. — More than one in four children in Tennessee are living in poverty, according to the Kids Count report released by the Annie Casey Foundation.

Tennessee’s ranking on overall child well-being slipped from 36 last year to 38, an issue the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth blame on the economy.

“It is really a reflection on the fact that we are still struggling from the Great Recession,” said Linda O’Neal, executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth. “The economic recovery has been uneven and has been especially challenging for those who are less fortunate.”

RIFA says they have been feeding more people during the summer, including kids who are out of school.

“One in four children is in a food-insecure home and living in poverty, and those numbers go hand in hand,” RIFA communications director Chelsea-Catherine Cobb said. “Poverty causes food insecurity.”

According to this report, 30 percent of kids in Madison County are living in poverty, something RIFA is trying to combat.

“We certainly want to be able to provide to those experiencing a difficult time and experiencing poverty right here and right now in this community,” Cobb said.

Across West Tennessee, Carroll County ranks 10th with 27 percent in child poverty, and Haywood County ranks 89th with a little more than 35 percent.

O’Neal says child poverty is a two-generation issue and that the solution starts with parents.

“It really means we need more two-generation strategies to help parents develop the job skills and parenting skills they need, [and] all at the same time providing children with quality early education,” O’Neal said.

Other child well-being rankings across West Tennessee include Chester County at 19, Gibson County at 33 and Crockett County at 40. All three of those counties have more than 27 percent of kids living in poverty.

You can view the full Kids Count report here.