The State of Washington's Children

Washington Kids Count, a project of the UW's Human Services Policy Center, is releasing the new edition of The State of Washington's Children.

This year's report focuses on poverty. A particularly notable finding is that rising unemployment rates could increase the number of children living in poverty by 37,000. That assumes that the unemployment rate reaches 9 percent, a likely scenario according to the most current state projections.

The authors point out that state government can help mitigate the impact of child poverty by improving work supports and sustaining critical benefits, a timely reminder as we await the legislature's budget proposals. In a KPLU radio piece on the report, lead author Lori Pfingst points out the importance of the Working Families Rebate as a tool to help lift families with children out of poverty.

The report is currently being pre-released to legislators and reporters. If you'd like to see an early copy, contact Lori Pfingst at 206-616-1506 or pfingst@u.washington.edu.