During the early 1990’s I was working on welfare reform policy in Montgomery County. In researching this complex topic, I discovered a study that identified a list of characteristics most common to people living in poverty. The study concluded that 90 percent of all people living in poverty met at least one of the following three conditions: failed to complete high school, had a child out of wedlock or suffered from either drug or alcohol addiction.
As a result of my interest in this issue area during my early career, I check the statistics that are released each year to see what progress has been made.
Recently, I read a 2008 report issued by the Montgomery County Family and Children’s First Council that cited similar conclusions to the study I read more than a decade ago. The 2008 study concluded that children whose parents graduated from high school, had them after the age of 20 and were married had only an eight percent chance of growing up in poverty. However, for those children whose parents did not meet the above conditions, the likelihood that they would grow up in poverty increased to an astonishing 79 percent.
So, where do we stand? Sadly, the trends are worsening.
In Ohio, only 44.1 percent of first-born children were born into a household where their parents were high school graduates, at least 20 years of age and were married—in Montgomery County that number was only 39 percent. Ten years ago these numbers were at 50.3 and 48.9 percent respectively and 52.6 and 52.4 percent respectively in 1990.
This data shows that the majority of Ohio’s first-born children are likely to be born into circumstances that put them at an exponentially higher risk of growing up in poverty.
Additionally, it seems that despite the best efforts of all interested parties to reverse these trends, the economics of poverty remain a complicated mix of personal choices, education and social issues. Although the report, which can be found in its entirety at www.fcfc.montco.org, was unclear in its recommendations for solutions, I would value your input.
What conclusions can you make about these trends? What should be done to address and/or alleviate these trends?
