Income supports, such as child care assistance, health care (RIte Care), food assistance and tax credits, can help families with incomes below the federal poverty threshold meet their basic needs.
Poverty is related to every KIDS COUNT indicator. Children in poverty, especially those who experience poverty in early childhood and for extended periods, are more likely to have physical and behavioral health problems, experience difficulty in school, become teen parents, and earn less or be unemployed as adults. Children in poverty are less likely to be enrolled in a child care care center or preschool, more likely to attend schools that lack resources and rigor, and have fewer opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities.
Many working and unemployed families in Rhode Island are eligible for income support services and benefits to help their children grow and thrive. Programs such as health insurance (RIte Care), child care subsidies, tax credits (EITC), nutrition assistance (SNAP and WIC) and cash assistance (RI Works) are available to families with low or moderate incomes.
Check out our publications
Factbook Indicators
The Raising RI Coalition is dedicated to lifting children out of poverty by increasing the RI Works* benefit and to breaking the cycle of poverty by providing parents with education and training opportunities leading to well-paying, secure jobs. Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is a Coalition member. For more, please visit www.raisingri.org.
*RI Works is the state’s cash assistance program for children and their parents or caregivers and a work preparation program for the adults.
Publications
- Issue Brief: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Children’s Economic Well-Being In Rhode Island, December 2021 - Racial and ethnic diversity has increased in the United States and Rhode Island over the last several decades and is projected to rise in the future. The diversity of Rhode Island is an asset; however, there are wide, persistent, and unacceptable disparities in children’s economic well-being by race and ethnicity. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Children’s Economic Well-Being in Rhode Island includes disaggregated data by race and ethnicity on key indicators of child and family well-being including unemployment rates, family income, poverty, wealth, homeownership, and postsecondary education. The report suggests solutions and actions Rhode Island can take to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities and promote equitable, racially aware, and community-driven policies. Please see the full publication, the media release, and the release event recording.
- Issue Brief: Child Poverty in Rhode Island, June 2020 - this report highlights the far-reaching negative impacts of poverty on children and families, as well as extensive recommendations to address the issue. An increase in child poverty and widening racial and ethnic disparities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious concern. Statewide and community-specific child poverty rates are presented in the Issue Brief.
- Special Publication: Access to School Breakfast: A Key Strategy for Improving Children’s Health, Education, and Well-Being - May 2019
Hunger and lack of regular access to food are linked to serious physical, psychological, emotional, and academic problems in children and can interfere with their growth and development. School Breakfast is an effective way to fill these nutritional gaps. Implementing key strategies such as the Community Eligibility Program, Universal School Breakfast, and “Breakfast After the Bell” can increase participation.
- Issue Brief: Working Parents, Child Care, and Paid Family Leave in Rhode Island, June 2018
This Issue Brief includes data and research on low-income working families as well as provide a deeper analysis of three key policies – child care assistance, paid family leave, and earned sick leave – that promote family economic security and children’s development and school readiness. The Issue Brief also includes recommendations on how to improve these policies to best support low-income working parents and their young children in Rhode Island.
Additional Resources
Rhode Island
National
- Annie E. Casey Foundation National Data Center – Economic Well-Being Indicators
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT contributes data to the national KIDS COUNT Data Center, which is managed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.The national KIDS COUNT Data Center connects you to over four million data points about the well-being of children and families in each state and across the country. You can easily access hundreds of indicators related to health, education, employment and income, child welfare, and many other topics. The Data Center is free and available to all.