Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 18 June 2019
Report: Childhood poverty persists in fast-growing Southwest

By MORGAN LEE straps,’” Tanata said. “We
Associated Press tend to be low in almost
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The every category when it
number of children living in comes to kids and to fami-
poverty has swelled over lies. ... We haven’t been
the past three decades in able to keep up with the
fast-growing, ethnically di- population growth and the
verse states such as Texas, changing needs.”
Arizona and Nevada as the Boissiere of the Casey
nation’s population center Foundation said underlying
shifts south and west, a re- causes of childhood finan-
port Monday on childhood cial stress differ from state
well-being shows. to state.
The annual Kids Count In Texas, about 26% of chil-
report from the Annie E. dren live in households
Casey Foundation found where at least one parent
that 18% of the nation’s struggles to find secure em-
children live in poverty, ployment. In New Mexico,
down from the Great Re- which ranked last in the sur-
cession. vey, more than one in three
But the same advances children were in that situa-
weren’t seen in the South- tion.
west, where many children A crisis in affordable hous-
are Native Americans, La- ing weighs on families in
tinos and immigrants who California — where 43% of
have long faced disadvan- children are in families with
tages. In this photo taken Friday, June 14, 2019, volunteers including Shelley Winship and retired a high housing cost burden
“The nation’s racial inequi- accountant Ralph Nava, left, pick up food packages to deliver to homebound families and that consumes more than
ties remain deep, systemic dependent children in Santa Fe, N.M., at the headquarters for Kitchen Angels. 30% of pre-tax income. The
and stubbornly persistent,” Associated Press state excels in other mea-
said the annual Kids Count The share of children with- well-being, from the rate of of impoverished children sures, with only 3% of chil-
report from the Annie E. out health insurance in- low birthweights and teen more than tripled to 125,000 dren going without health
Casey Foundation. creased slightly in 2017, the pregnancy to third-grade since 1990. insurance.
“Thirteen million children most recent year studied, reading abilities and the Denise Tanata, executive Nationwide, the share of
continue to live in poverty but remains near an all- prevalence of single-par- director of the Children’s children with at least one
in spite of the economic time low at 5%. That was ent families. Advocacy Alliance in Ne- immigrant parent has dou-
growth that we have seen attributed in large part to Texas’ childhood popula- vada, says the state’s rela- bled since 1990 to 26%, the
recently, and low unem- state Medicaid programs tion swelled by an addition- tive prosperity sets it apart report found.
ployment,” said Leslie Bois- and provisions of the Af- al 2.5 million since 1990. The from other states persistent- Fifteen states with fastest
siere, a vice president at fordable Care Act. number of children in pov- ly near the bottom of the growing child populations
the foundation. Since 1990, however, the erty there increased from childhood well-being rank- owe that growth mainly to
“In those border states, it’s national rate of childhood about 1.1 million to 1.5 mil- ings, such as Mississippi and an influx from other states
as many as one in five. So poverty has remained un- lion, according to the foun- Alabama. along with birth and death
you’re seeing a higher rate changed. dation. In Arizona, it rose by “Historically it’s been a very rates — not international
of poverty among children The report measured 16 60% to 332,000 children. old-West mentality: ‘Pull immigration, the founda-
in those states.” indicators of childhood In Nevada, the number yourself up by your boot- tion said.q

Kansas boy very lucky to

survive knife impaling his face

scream. She found him oversaw the extraction. “I derstandable.” She said Eli
with a 10-inch knife jutting don’t think he would have is doing great and should
from just below his eye and survived it.” make a full recovery.
called 911. A team of surgeons put to- “It is almost a miracle,” Rus-
“It looked pretty grim, it was gether an intricate plan to sell said. “It is really, really
scary,” Russell said in a vid- remove the blade Friday amazing.”
eo released by the Universi- morning. They were pre- The boy is fortunate he end-
ty of Kansas Health System, pared for possible bleeding ed up in Ebersole’s hands,
where he was treated. into the brain, but the oper- as it was Ebersole who re-
In this June 14, 2019 photo provided by The University of Kansas
Health System, 15-year-old Eli Gregg, right, recovers in the The knife was embedded ation went without a hitch moved a meat skewer
hospital bed in Kansas City, Kan., as his mother Jimmy Russell in his skull and extended and the artery remained from the skull of a 10-year-
watches after doctors removed a 10” knife that impaled his to just under his brain. The intact. old Missouri boy last year
face when he fell while playing. blade’s tip, meanwhile, Within 24 hours of the sur- in an accident that pro-
Associated Press was pushing against his ca- gery, Eli was able to talk vided equally shocking
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Eli Gregg, was playing rotid artery, which supplies and make light of the situa- X-rays. That boy was at-
A 15-year-old Kansas boy Thursday evening outside the brain with blood. tion. He was due to be dis- tacked by yellow jackets in
got a large knife to the of their home in Redfield, “It could not have had a charged on Monday. a tree house in Harrisonville,
face, and doctors say he’s about 90 miles (145 kilo- pound more force on it and “He says he is going to stay about 35 miles (56 kilome-
extremely lucky. meters) south of Kansas him survive that event,” away from sharp objects,” ters) south of Kansas City,
Jimmy Russell said her son, City, when she heard him said Dr. Koji Ebersole, who Russell said. “That is very un- and fell onto the skewer.q