This week, Frances Deviney, Ph.D., Texas KIDS COUNT Director at CPPP, presented to the UWATX Women’s Leadership Council about the growing budget challenges facing Austinites and what they could do to get involved. Here are some highlights:
- Nationally, a family of three is considered poor if their total income is less than $18,123 annually. This does not take into account regional differences in cost of living or changing expenses, including rent, health care, child care and transportation.
- The child poverty rate in Texas (27%) is higher than the overall US rate (23%). The Travis County child poverty rate (24%) has also climbed above the US rate.
- In Travis County, income has not kept up with inflation. Adjusted for inflation, Central Texans are making $6,000 less on average than in 2000.
- Many families – including 21% of 2 parent, 2 child households and 61% of single parent, two child households – are not making enough to make ends meet.
At UWATX, statistics like this drive our work every day. We are working to provide families with higher quality, more affordable child care options, improve public support for early childhood and provide financial literacy.