(Washington, D.C.) – Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families Co-Director Joan Alker issued the following statement in response to the release of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States (2010) report:

“The census data released today provided a very disturbing snapshot of the economic circumstances that children and families face in the U.S. The data showed that more Americans are experiencing poverty today than at any time in over fifty years with more than one in five children growing up in poverty.

Despite the fact that nearly one million more children were living in poverty last year, the share of uninsured children held steady at 9.8 percent. While children are more likely to be poor than adults, they are also more likely to have health insurance. The success of federal and state efforts to cover children through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a testament to the country’s ability to come together and address the challenges our children face — if we choose to.”

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