Number of poverty-stricken children grows

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - The number of children in poverty is rising dramatically, according to child advocates. 

In Tippecanoe County, the rate has nearly doubled since the year 2000. 

That year, 11 percent of children were living in poverty in Tippecanoe County. 

Nine years later, the figure was 20 percent.

Child advocates met for a quarterly "Youth Workers Cafe" in Lafayette this afternoon.  

Indiana Youth Institute CEO Bill Stanczykiewicz says strategies for dealing with childhood poverty are complicated, but two keys are economic development and education.

“More job opportunities, higher wages for more people,” Stanczykiewicz said. “I'll give you a stat internationally: Extreme poverty across the world has been cut in half the last 30 years. A big reason is that 75 percent of that gain has come from economic development, primarily in India and China.”

Stanczykiewicz says one way to help kids the most is to give them useful information about non-traditional ways to obtain education beyond high school.