April Burbank

Free Press Staff Writer

Time is running out for an ambitious Vermont goal to raise thousands of children out of poverty.

Lawmakers set a 10-year clock in 2007, hoping for a plan that could cut the child poverty rate in half.

But according to the latest numbers, the state — like the nation as a whole — actually has more children in poverty than at the height of the recession.

That’s one of the dark spots in the annual Kids Count report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which was released Tuesday. Each year the report draws attention to measures of child well-being, including education, health care and family matters in each state.

The report features plenty of good news: Vermont’s child poverty rate remains significantly lower than the national average, and the state can take pride in good scores on child health insurance and education.

Vermont ranked fifth in the nation for overall child well-being, behind Minnesota, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Iowa. The Green Mountain State has consistently ranked as one of the best states for kids.

However, U.S. Census Bureau data show that approximately 2,000 more Vermont children lived in families below the federal poverty level 2013, compared to five years before. The child poverty rate was 15 percent.

“This is the first year where we’ve really kind of honed in on the period post-recession,” said Laura Speer, who leads the Kids Count project for the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The numbers came as no surprise to Sarah Teel, research director at the Montpelier-based Voices for Vermont’s Children, because of national trends and because child poverty and employment rates are closely linked.

“Even people who are above the poverty line are still struggling,” Teel said.

Vicky Smith, executive director of the King Street Youth Center in Burlington, heard the statistics with “sadness and deep disappointment that we can’t figure this out.”

“We have so much innovation on the tech front, we’re such a smart community, and we can’t figure out how to address this in a way that’s creative and innovative,” Smith said. “The war on poverty obviously hasn’t moved.”

A steeper climb

The child poverty rate is based on federal guidelines for family income. But a single Vermont parent with one child needs to earn twice the federal poverty level — more than $50,000 — to cover the actual cost of living in Vermont, according to the Legislature’s annual basic needs budget.

The high cost of housing is a major factor, Teel said.

“It eats up so much of families’ budgets that they end up cutting corners in areas like food,” she said.

Nutrition is a challenge, said Smith of the King Street Youth Center.

“I know families are very grateful that in our early education program that we serve breakfast and lunch and snacks,” she said. “That’s definitely very much appreciated.”

Vermont’s Child Poverty Council, a group of legislators, state officials and other leaders, has been tasked with a plan to cut child poverty rates in half by 2017.

Based on U.S. Census Bureau estimates — and using the federal poverty level as a benchmark in Vermont — that would mean a drop from 13.1 percent to about 6.5 percent.

The numerical goal isn’t everything, said Rep. Ann Pugh, D-South Burlington and chairwoman of the House Committee on Human Services.

“I would say having that as a goal has framed the conversation,” added Pugh, who led the Vermont Child Poverty Council when it began.

County-by-county map of Vermont child poverty:

The current members of the group met in Montpelier on Tuesday, the same day the Kids Count report was released. They discussed ongoing programs intended to combat child poverty, including public funding for early childhood education and a new college fund for babies born to Vermont parents.

The Child Poverty Council continues to advance several recommendations in the state Legislature, including parental leave and paid sick time.

Rep. Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington and chairwoman of the Child Poverty Council, says the group is working to identify and eliminate barriers to getting kids out of poverty.

As for the goal of reducing child poverty by half, Krowinski said, “If people make it a priority, I think it is a reachable goal.”

Gov. Peter Shumlin’s administration also set a new target this year: State government will work to end family homelessness by 2020.

Brighter days ahead?

Due to a lag in U.S. Census Bureau statistics, it’s hard to tell exactly how Vermont kids are faring in the current economy.

“We all along expected that the child poverty rate would have improved slightly more quickly than it did,” said Laura Speer at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, speaking about national statistics.

Any improvements in 2014 or 2015 would appear in future estimates.

“We’re hopeful that next year’s data will look better,” Speer said, “and will move a little more quickly than it has been over time.”

Krowinski sees some encouraging signs in the data for Vermont.

“Being fifth for overall child well-being,” Krowinski said, “is hopeful.”

Contact April Burbank at 802-660-1863 or aburbank@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AprilBurbank

How Vermont scored in Kids Count:

• No. 5 in overall child well-being

• No. 11 in economic well-being, which includes measures of child poverty and parents who lack secure employment

• No. 4 in education, which includes high school graduation and subject matter proficiency

• No. 22 in health, which includes child health insurance and teen substance abuse

• No. 3 in family and community, which includes teen births and single-parent families