Have you ever heard of ALICE? ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. This week we are focusing on the children growing up in the United States under increasing financial hardships. According to United For ALICE in 2019, 53% of children living in Texas were either in poverty or ALICE. Let us put that in perspective 53% is a little over 3.9 million children, which according to the Census Bureau is almost the equivalent of the populations of Dallas and Travis County combined.
Families that fall under ALICE earn too much to be eligible for social services but struggle to afford the basics of modern society. Children lack the resources of stable housing, quality education, health insurance, home internet, and additional public assistance. Over the last two years, those struggles were amplified. While parents were trying to work or working from home, these children were struggling. They struggled to stay on top of school due to a lack of digital capability, not being able to see a doctor due to lack of health insurance, or parents having to decide between paying for food or proper childcare. The last two years have shown the shortfalls in our society; and how important filling the gaps and covering the cracks are, especially for our children. Ensuring our younger generations grow up in a financially stable home is a strong predictor of future positive physical, mental, and emotional outcomes.
If you would like additional information or have questions about ALICE, please visit here. To change the trajectory for ALICE children, please share this data with others; the first step to solving a problem is making people aware that there is one.
TEXAS: 2020 Census
United For ALICE
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