Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota is reporting a significant dip in child poverty rates throughout the state.
Minnesota saw about 23,000 fewer children living in poverty from 2014 to 2015, according to the report compiled with numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey on Thursday. The Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota analysis found that the decline is the most significant decrease since the recession.
Minnesota has about 165,000 children living in poverty which is still 25,000 more than 2008. Minnesota's figures reflect the national decline in children living in poverty, according to the analysis.
'It's promising to see a decline in the number of children in poverty, but many children, including thousands above the poverty threshold, are still in families struggling to access basic needs and opportunities to learn, grow and explore," Stephanie Hogenson, Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota, research and policy director, said in a news release.
Younger children have a higher rate of living in poverty with 14.3 percent of children as young as 6 living in poverty, which is a slight drop from 16 percent in 2014.
While numbers have dropped, Minnesota is still listed as having one of the highest rates of poverty for children of color and American Indian children. These groups encompass two-thirds of the child population in poverty while they make up about 30 percent of the total population of children.
The report also found that the population of Asian children experienced a slight increase in child poverty.
"Two-generation solutions that improve parents' earning potential and increase children's access to opportunity are critical to improving child outcomes and beginning to address the systemic barriers that exist particularly for families of color and American Indian families," Bharti Wahi, Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota executive director, said in a news release.
