LESS INCOME, MORE WORRY: More on Pew Parenting Study

from Politico Morning Ed for 12/23/2015

LESS INCOME, MORE WORRY: A recent Pew Research Center survey shows a strong link between financial stability and parenting attitudes. The survey, "Parenting in America," was conducted earlier this year and involved 1,807 parents with children under the age of 18. Results showed that parents who make less than $30,000 a year are more concerned their children could get pregnant or get someone pregnant, be kidnapped or be beat up than high income parents (defined as making $75,000 or more). Associate Research Director Juliana Menasce Horowitz said one of the starkest pieces of data looked at concern surrounding gun violence - 47 percent of low income parents (making $30,000 or less) worry their children could be shot, compared with 22 percent of high income parents. Check out the survey results: http://pewrsr.ch/1QuQLUO.

- And four in 10 American children live in low-income families, according to a recent report from the University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy. That report, based on Census Bureau poverty data from 2014, found that 21.7 percent of children lived below the poverty line, and an additional 9.6 percent lived in "deep poverty" (defined as having incomes below 50 percent of the poverty line). Horowitz noted that these rates could be related to familial structure, which she said can be tied to income. The Pew report found that children in single-parent households are more likely to be living in poverty, and only 62 percent of children today live with two married parents, compared with 73 percent in 2000. Race is also a fault line here, Horowitz said. For black children, 54 percent live in single parent homes, compared to 19 percent of white children. More: http://bit.ly/1Omg9Mb.

- Impoverished or not, child care and education are parent priorities. The Pew survey showed that more than 60 percent of parents with preschool aged children or younger, regardless of income or race, say it's difficult to find quality, affordable child care in their community.