More children living in poverty pushes Jersey lower in child welfare survey Tuesday, June 27, 2006 • BY SUSAN K. LIVIO • Star-Ledger Staff With an increasing number of children living below the federal poverty line and more kids being raised by unemployed parents, New Jersey fell to its worst showing in six years in the annual KIDS COUNT national survey released yesterday. The 20 percent spike in the child poverty rate and eight percent rise in unemployed parents raising children caused New Jersey to rank as the seventh best state in the country for dealing with family health, wealth and well-being. It is four spots lower than last year and its lowest ranking since it was ninth in 2000. The survey was done by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a child welfare philanthropy and think tank in Baltimore. The survey, which compared figures from 2000 through 2004, relies on U.S. Census Bureau information, the U.S. Department of Education and other federal and state agencies. In two other poverty-related categories, New Jersey made no gains but fared no worse with one- quarter of all children grew up in single-parent homes, and seven percent of teenagers neither attended school nor worked, the report said. Though New Jersey is significantly wealthier than the rest of the country, the survey should re mind state policy makers that poverty is getting worse, said Cecilia Zalkind, executive director of the Association for Children of New Jersey, an advocacy group who worked with Casey to distribute the report. "It's easy to look across the state and say poverty is not a significant problem, but it is. We are all one state," Zalkind said. "I don't think anyone has ever taken it as a policy agenda and made a commit ment at reducing poverty. Look at Newark. There are limited job opportunities, terrible housing, inadequate schools, for a long time. "It would be exciting to see a governor or a mayor take that on and set it as a goal, a goal of reducing poverty." Zalkind said the report also should compel Gov. Jon Corzine to rethink his proposal to postpone by one year a plan to exempt 400,000 low-income residents earning between $20,000 and $25,000 from income taxes, and to reduce taxes for 200,000 others earning no more than $30,000. Corzine proposed, then withdrew, the idea so the state could save $100 million next year. With the federal poverty line rising from $19,350 to $23,000, more people will be subject to paying state income taxes. "Next year, we will be taxing people living below the poverty level." Zalkind said. "It's really unconscionable." The median family income in New Jersey was $76,200, nearly $20,000 higher than the average family in the country, according to the report. Association spokeswoman Nancy Parello said she suspects New Jersey's sliding rank coincides with its popular status for immi grants. The association performed a KIDS COUNT focusing on immi grant families so lawmakers and policy makers can better understand their needs. "It's a policy area that hasn't gotten a lot of attention in New Jersey," Parello said. "For better or worse, it's not on the radar screen here." The state is home to 1.5 million foreign-born people, with 29 percent of them children, the report said. And with more than 50,000 im migrants legally settling in 2004, New Jersey had the second highest per capita total immigrant population influx, behind California, according to the New Jersey Immi gration Policy Network's website. The rise of low-income families caused a fall in the state's ranking, but it distinguished itself, as it typically does every year, by scoring high on issues relating to child health, education and safety. New Jersey has the second-lowest teen death rate in the country, and the sixth lowest teen birth rate, and the seventh lowest high school drop out rate, the report said. With 8 percent of all births involving low-birth weight babies -- defined as infants weighing less than 5.5 pounds -- the state ranks 26th in the nation. But association officials say the statistic is probably more of a reflection of 2001 state law requiring most employers provide some fertility treatment coverage, and the state's many affluent couples who can afford to pay for costly care. New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Minnesota, Iowa and Utah scored higher than New Jersey. Mississippi ranked last. Susan K. Livio covers health and welfare issues from the Statehouse Bureau. She may be reached at slivi o@starledger.com and (609) 989-0802. © 2006 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission.