Too Many Mississippi Children Live in Families Struggling to Make Ends Meet
September 17th, 2015
Too many Mississippians struggled to make ends meet in 2014, according to new data released today from the U.S. Census Bureau, highlighting the need to invest in education at all levels so that Mississippians can build a secure future.
Our success as a state depends on opportunity for everyone. If schools aren’t given enough funding to help all children succeed, we could put opportunity out of reach, not only for the 243,000 children living in poverty but for all Mississippians.
One in five Mississippians struggled to afford basic necessities in 2014, living on less than $24,000 a year for a family of four. This is higher than in any other state. About 29 percent (or 243,000) of children in Mississippi grow up in families that can’t give them a good start to life because they make this little. See graphic.
In order to succeed, all children need schools that will prepare them to meet the challenges of the future. Children who grow up in poverty, however, face greater challenges in getting the education they need to escape poverty, and, in many cases, require more resources to meet the achievement levels of children in wealthier families.
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