Published in CT Mirror
Is CT a great place to be a child? For many, no.
While Connecticut, one of the wealthiest states in our country, may seem like an ideal place to raise a family, for far too many children, it is not.
Beneath the state’s picturesque towns and affluent neighborhoods lies a troubling reality —high child poverty rates that paint a stark contrast to the state's overall wealth. In fact, nearly one in 10 children in Connecticut grow up in poverty.
For these kids – our kids - basic needs like stable housing, nutritious food, and access to quality childcare aren’t guaranteed, and the educational opportunities they deserve are often out of reach. While some areas boast world-class schools and enrichment programs, children in poverty are being left behind.
So, is Connecticut a great place to be a child? For many, the answer is no —especially when poverty limits opportunities and dreams feel distant.
That’s why more than 100 organizations – hospitals, higher ed institutions, nonprofits, philanthropy and experts throughout the state -- have come together and pledged to End Child Poverty Now! Almost every community foundation serving our 169 towns is involved and leading local efforts to raise awareness, convene partners and advocate on behalf of all our state’s children who do not have enough to thrive.
Morally, we know that this should not be. Sixty-one years ago, in his 1964 State of the Union Address, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced an unconditional war on poverty and called it a national disgrace that merited a national response. Unfortunately, those calls went unheard until the COVID-19 pandemic brought the issue to the forefront. The pandemic served as an unprecedented global crisis, but it also revealed the profound impact of targeted government assistance in alleviating poverty.
Through programs like emergency food aid and the refundable child tax credit, we saw a dramatic decrease in child poverty across the United States. In Connecticut, the federal government provided $2,000 to $3,000 in child tax credits per child, and child poverty was reduced by nearly 70%. However, as we now know, this progress was short-lived. The expiration of key pandemic relief programs in 2023 led to a sharp increase in child poverty, serving as a stark reminder that without sustained investment in social safety nets, progress remains fragile at best.
Children in Connecticut, one of the wealthiest states in America, were not spared! Even here, with our great wealth, Connecticut has experienced skyrocketing child poverty since 2023. According to the report, "Poverty in the U.S. and Connecticut 2019-2023," by the Connecticut Voices for Children, the supplemental poverty rate was 10.5 percent in 2020, or 74,520 children living in poverty. By 2021, the child poverty rate had dropped to 3.8 percent or 27,080 children. Yet, by 2023, our numbers had skyrocketed and exceeded pre-pandemic level.
This spike tells us that when families have access to financial resources, they can meet their children’s basic needs, invest in education, and create a stable environment in which their children can thrive. To let these gains slip away is not just an economic failure — it is a moral failure.
This moment calls for a renewed commitment to ending childhood poverty — a commitment that must be underpinned by policy change. The End Child Poverty Now Campaign is a unified platform for advocacy behind a common vision: a thriving and economically robust Connecticut where no child experiences the debilitating effects of poverty.
This nonprofit advocacy collaborative engages lawmakers and policy influencers to promote and enact policies that address the root causes of child poverty, including income inequality, access to healthcare, safe and affordable homes, and quality education.
The collective goal for the 2025 legislative session is to advance the following:
- Support a permanent, refundable CT Child Tax Credit at $600 per child.
- Support universal no-cost healthy school meals (breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack).
- Support universal childcare subsidies for families earning up to 85% of the State Median Income.
- Expand good cause eviction protections to support family housing stability.
The End Child Poverty Now campaign represents a pivotal opportunity to enact meaningful change. We cannot sit and watch while our neighboring states make steady progress to end child poverty. Our rhetoric of being a child-friendly state must match the reality for many more children and families.
With the 2025 legislative session upon us, we have a responsibility to champion policy changes that will decrease child poverty. Connecticut can and should lead the nation and act on our belief that every child deserves basic necessities, quality education, and a nurturing environment.
It’s time to stop treating childhood poverty as an inevitable reality and start treating it as the solvable problem it is. In Connecticut, this is our work! And the time is now!
Kathy Taylor, President and CEO, Connecticut Community Foundation
Karen DuBois-Walton, President/CEO, The COMMUNITY Foundation for Greater New Haven
Maryam Elahi, President and CEO, Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut
Kara Mikulich, Interim President, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
David J. Obedzinski, President and CEO, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain
Lauren Patterson, President and CEO, New Canaan Community Foundation
Guy Rovezzi, President and CEO, Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation
Susan D. Sadecki, President and CEO, Main Street
Jay Williams, President/CEO, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
This article first appeared on CT Mirror and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
