Report: 1 in 5 Indiana children live in poverty

INDIANAPOLIS (AP/WANE) -- A national survey has found that one in five Indiana children was living in poverty in 2010, a number that's risen 29 percent since 2005.

The 2011 Kids Count report released Wednesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranked Indiana 31st in the nation in terms of the overall well-being of its children. The report found 22 percent of Indiana children lived in poverty in 2010, up from 17 percent in 2005.

Indiana Youth Institute President Bill Stanczykiewicz told The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky. ( http://cjky.it/PkPNJa ) the increase is connected to other factors in the report. He said the number of Indiana children living in single-parent homes has risen 17 percent and studies show those children are five to six times more likely to end up living in poverty.

Here's a breakdown of the numbers across the region:

• Indiana - 22% of children (17 and younger) live in poverty
• Ohio - 23%
• Illinois - 19%
• Michigan - 23%
• Kentucky - 26%

Percentage of Hoosier children living in poverty in nearby counties:

• Allen - 29.6%
• Adams - 19.8%
• Blackford - 24.3%
• DeKalb - 15.6%
• Grant - 29.7%
• Huntington - 15.8%
• Jay - 26%
• LaGrange - 26.9%
• Noble - 19.4%
• Wabash - 18.4%
• Wells - 14.5%
• Whitley -  13.4%

States with the highest percentage of children living in poverty:

• Mississippi - 33%
• New Mexico - 30%
• Alabama - 28%
• Arkansas - 28%
• Louisiana - 27%

NewsChannel 15's Megan Reust spoke with local leaders about this new report. 

Jonathon Ray works at the Fort Wayne Urban League and said that one key factor in battling child poverty is parents, "Which is why we have adult services like job placement, job training. We have a foreclosure program that helps people stay in their own home. That is essential for a child to have stability financially and as far as a home is concerned."

Pam Brookshire, with the Community Action of Northeast Indiana (CANI), said their programs for children "Will help prepare them for future education and future employment."

Ray and Brookshire said it's important for low-income families to utilize their child services.  Several programs focus on getting children on the right academic track. 

Click here to see a list of services CANI offers.

Click here to see a list of programs offered by the Fort Wayne Urban League.