Kids, Families and COVID-19: Pandemic Pain Points and the Urgent Need to Respond

50-State Data Show Many Families with Children Are Depressed, Uninsured, Hungry and at Risk of Foreclosure or Eviction

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Dec 14, 2020, 06:30 ET

BALTIMORE, Dec. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Families require an immediate policy response to meet the needs of children during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new KIDS COUNT® policy report from The Annie E. Casey Foundation, a decades-long advocate for young people in America. In Kids, Families and COVID-19: Pandemic Pain Points and the Urgent Need to Respond, a 50-state report, data show children and families are suffering from the unprecedented disruption and economic storm set off by the global health crisis and racial disparities are significant.

The report can be found at www.aecf.org.

The Foundation identified four pain points for children and families that require immediate action for relief:

14% of families with children said that in the most recent week, there was sometimes or always not enough to eat in their household.
18% said they had only slight confidence or no confidence at all that they would be able to make their next rent or mortgage payment on time.
12% lacked health insurance.
21% reported that they had felt down, depressed or hopeless in the previous week, indicating a widespread need for access to mental health care.

"America's children are in crisis," said Annie E. Casey Foundation President and CEO Lisa Hamilton. "We need immediate and decisive action from policymakers that prioritizes equitable solutions."

The Foundation urges policymakers and child advocates to:

Put racial and ethnic equity first in policymaking
Prioritize the physical and mental health of all children
Help families with children achieve financial stability and bolster their well-being
Ensure schools are better funded, more equitably funded and ready to meet the needs of students disparately affected by the pandemic

About the Annie E. Casey Foundation

The Annie E. Casey Foundation creates a brighter future for the nation's children by developing solutions to strengthen families, build paths to economic opportunity and transform struggling communities into safer and healthier places to live, work and grow.

Contacts:
Donte Donald
[email protected]
404-791-1253

Justin Henry
[email protected]
908-448-8397

Beau Boughamer
[email protected]
410-458-5018

SOURCE The Annie E. Casey Foundation