Administration Releases Report, Opportunity for All: Fighting Rural Child Poverty


Last Updated: May 21, 2015
 

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The report, entitled Opportunity for All: Fighting Rural Child Poverty, examines poverty in rural areas, compares trends and rates of urban and rural poverty, and highlights how programs like refundable tax credits, Social Security, SNAP, and housing assistance have lifted about 9.0 million rural people out of poverty in 2013, including about 1.6 million children.


A couple of key findings of the report:

In 2013, 6.2 million Americans in rural areas lived in poverty, including about 1.5 million children. In many of these rural communities, high rates of poverty have persisted for generations: Over 300 rural counties have had poverty rates of over 20 percent in every Census since 1980. By comparison, 52 metropolitan counties experienced persistent poverty over the same time period.

While poor children living in rural America face similar educational, social, and economic barriers as their urban counterparts, many of these problems are exacerbated by the isolation and limited access to support services commonly experienced in rural areas; Policies must adapt and respond to the distinct challenges facing rural and tribal communities.


View the full report: Opportunity for All: Fighting Rural Child Poverty

Read the blog: Creating Opportunity for All in Rural Communities

Learn more about the White House Rural Council: Opportunity for All: White House Rural Council Launches "Rural Impact" Effort to Help Rural Children and Families Succeed