The blog "Over One Million Texas Children Are Living in Poverty" was written by Katie Singh. Texas often touts its record of economic growth, low unemployment rates and its success as a magnet for workers, but who's thinking about the kids in tow and how well-fed or educated they are? Many people are surprised to find that about one in five kids in Texas lives in poverty. According to the report, 1.7 million children, or one-fourth of Texas kids, are currently living in poverty, and 1.1 million of the children living in poverty are Latino, 277,000 are black, 241,000 are white, and 31,000 are Asian. The poverty rate for Latino children in Texas is three times the rate for white children, so the racial disparities among kids living in poverty are stark. The report also found racial and ethnic disparities around health and education. 3.8% of black children in Texas face food insecurity, a rate that is nearly twice that of white children and the state also has one of the highest percentages of children without health insurance in the country (11%) and the rate of Latino children who are uninsured is over twice the rate of white children who are uninsured. It also mentions that minority children also face higher barriers than their white peers when it comes to educational achievement. The author concerns that children are in trouble, and he also thinks that Texas is going to be in really big trouble. He says "when poor black and Latino kids are less healthy and less likely to get an education, they are unable to gain the tools they need to set themselves up for the future. This makes them more likely to remain in poverty as adults, and have their kids grow up facing the same barriers as well."
The author opinion is that Texas lawmakers should focus on creating pathways out of poverty and promoting equity for all children. I totally agree with his opinion. According to the report, Texas consistently ranks among the bottom 10 states regarding children's health and well-being. I'm really mad at Texas government because I really wonder what they have been doing while children suffer. They should recognize that it is going to be a really big problem to Texas state. I think that children of color are not only the future of Texas, they are the Texas of today. Without them, Texas would face a demographic crisis a shrinking and aging population with few working-age adults to support and replace older adults in the workforce. Closing the educational, health and financial gaps between Texas children of different races and ethnicities will require intentional, proactive community choices and public policies to ensure all Texans can reach their full potential.
