Cost-of-living increases and the end of federal aid from the pandemic helped boost the poverty rate to 12.4 percent last year, up from 7.8 percent in 2021, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. Children were especially hard hit. Two Duke University professors who study child poverty are available to comment.
Christina M. Gibson-Davis
Quotes:
“Child poverty rates increased much more than elderly poverty rates. That tells us something about our public policy priorities and how our social safety works,” says Duke University professor Christina M. Gibson-Davis, who researches families and economic inequality.
“We had a lot of policies to play to aid children and their families during the pandemic, but once those ended, so did the decrease in child poverty. The elderly, on the other hand, benefit from policies that weren’t Covid specific, so their poverty rates did not rise as much.”
Bio:
Christina M. Gibson-Davis is a professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, with a secondary appointment in sociology. She is also an affiliate at Duke’s Center for Child and Family Policy. Davis’ research interests center around social and economic differences in family formation patterns. Her current research focuses on the how divergent patterns of family formation affect economic inequality.
https://sanford.duke.edu/profile/christina-m-gibson-davis/
For additional comment, contact Davis at: cgibson@duke.edu
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Lisa Gennetian
Quote:
“That rates of child poverty increased in 2022 is disappointing and concerning,” says Lisa Gennetian, a professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy who researches a variety of areas concerning child poverty from income security and stability.
“The 2021 expanded child tax credit had a positive impact for families and for children, including in ways that prevented worsening of conditions and that has not so far shown any dire predictions being born out on, for example, reduced participation in the formal labor market. An optimistic view on this is what we have learned about policy choices and options to invest in children.”
“The 2022 child poverty rates are much higher than 2021 but also lower than 2018. We’ve also learned a lot about the strengths of the tax system for delivering cash. There is room and need for re-opening policy and political conversations about an expanded child tax credit as a complementary strategy to bolstering child care and related anti-poverty investments including the earned income tax credit; so supporting families in all realms of work and caregiving.”
Bio:
Lisa Gennetian is an applied economist at Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy whose research straddles a variety of areas concerning child poverty from income security and stability to early care and education with a focus on how child poverty shapes children’s development. She is also an affiliate at Duke’s Center for Child and Family Policy.
For additional comment, contact Gennetian at: lisa.gennetian@duke.edu
Media Contact:
Matt LoJacono
matt.lojacono@duke.edu