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Local, state child poverty rising

Child poverty locally and around the state is rising.

According to numbers from the Indiana Youth Institute, the percentage of kids living in poverty in Tippecanoe County rose from eleven percent in 2000 to 20-percent in 2010. 

And, statewide the increase was from 12 to 22 percent during that time.

Institute President and CEO Bill Stanczykiewicz says there is a combination of factors contributing to the higher figures.

“Some of the bigger reasons are the dislocation of the state's manufacturing sector, the increase of children growing up in single family homes," he said, "we just know statistically those kids are five to six times more likely to live in poverty; the increase in immigration into our state.  A lot of our immigrants start at the lower rungs of the economic ladder.  Those are some of the larger reasons.”

He points to some statistics as reasons for optimism.

The state’s high school graduation rate is rising and Stanczykiewicz  says there are between 40,000-50,000 jobs that are not being filled because of unqualified applicants, which means work is available.

He believes there needs to be a greater focus on post-secondary education and the community needs to help low income students utilize all the resources available to get them there.