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Tennessee gets an annual checkup on the well-being of its children. And this year, the “Kids Count” report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation puts the state among the worst in the nation for economic factors — ranked 42 of 50.
That means more children in Tennessee are living in poverty (26 percent) — and that’s despite low unemployment and general economic growth.
High housing costs are a key challenge for families, the study finds.
The numbers don’t surprise Dawana Wade, CEO of Salama Urban Ministries, a South Nashville nonprofit that has run afterschool tutoring and arts programs for 25 years.
“While Nashville on the outside could look very prosperous and engaging and we have this new tagline, the ‘It City,’ … the playing field continues to be unlevel,” Wade said.
Wade’s sense is that it’s not just very poor families, but even those with moderate income that are being forced to make tough decisions.
“It’s very difficult for our families — even in the wonderful things that are happening in Nashville,” she said.
A big reason: More families (33 perent) are spending at least a third of their paychecks on housing.
“Shelter is one of those things that has to be at the top of the list. And so lots of other things go by the wayside. Sometimes that’s food. That’s healthcare, etc,” Wade said. “Our kids begin to worry about the same kinds of things that their families worry about … those things carry over into everything our young people are doing.”
Overall, Tennessee ranks 38 in the nation, down two spots from last year.
Copyright 2016 WPLN News