A nationwide report on child poverty rates identifies Alaska as one of nine states that saw an increase between 2013 and 2014.
Trevor Storrs, Executive Director of Alaska Children’s Trust…
Storrs: “We were the one with the highest but when we look at the overall national average of 22%, at 16% we’re still under it. So on a national level we’re still doing well and I think that does speak to some of the great industries that we have in the pay plus we have such a strong support network within our Alaska Native communities for rural, because you’ll see a higher poverty level in the rural communities.”
Storrs clarified that poverty in Alaska is more complex because statistics fail to take the state’s high living costs and regional differences into account.
Nonetheless, he says the increase from 12% to 16% between 2013 and 2014 is a potential trend that Alaskan residents should recognize and keep an eye on.
