(Host) New census data shows that young children in Vermont are being hit hardest by the economic recession.
The American Community Survey shows that 19 percent of Vermont children under the age of six were living in poverty last year. That’s up 3 percent from the previous year.
Nicole Mace is with the group Voices for Vermont’s Children.
She says living in persistent poverty poses high risks to early childhood health and development.
(Mace) "They can’t access regular meals, they don’t maybe have access to early quality care and education, they don’t have safe or stable housing, that doesn’t put them on a strong foundation moving into the future."
Mace says that child poverty also threatens future economic prosperity in Vermont.
She says the Vermont Childhood Poverty Council has issued a series of recommendations to cut the rate of child poverty in half by 2017.
(Mace) "Basically what those recommendations are designed to do is mend and strengthen the safety net, things like food stamps, temporary aid to needy families, access to health care services…"
You can find a link to the full set of recommendations at vpr.net.