Colorado child poverty rate up 85%
Among highest in nation
Peter Marcus, DDN Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 17, 2009






Colorado has one of the highest rates in the nation for childhood poverty, posting an 85-percent increase over seven years, according to a report released yesterday.

The annual KidsCount in Colorado! report released yesterday states that more than 192,000 children were living in poverty in 2007, compared to 104,000 in 2000. Poverty is defined by an annual family income of $22,050 for a family of four.

The report marks a 12-percent spike over the increase posted last year, leaving children’s advocates concerned.

“Maintaining the well-being of Colorado’s children is increasingly difficult in a tough economy, when many parents have lost jobs and income,â€