Aubrey Mancuso

Voices for Children in Nebraska

2000 2012

Child Poverty Rate 10.0% 17.9%

Overall Poverty Rate 9.6% 13.0%

2012 Poverty Rates Child Poverty

Rate

Overall

Poverty Rateby Race

White Alone 11.6% 9.6%

Black or African American Alone 47.1% 34.2%

American Indian and Alaska Native

Alone

40.6% 40.2%

Asian Alone 15.6% 16.2%

Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 32.5% 26.8%

Statistics in Nebraska continue to show high

child poverty rates despite strong indicators of

parental employment.

In 2012:

◦ 8.6% of Nebraska workers have more than

one job compared to a national average of

4.9%

◦ 73% percent of Nebraska children under 6

have all available parents in the workforce

◦ Only 2% of Nebraska children lived in

households with no working adults

Voters will have the opportunity to vote on an

increase in the state minimum wage on

November 4th

The minimum wage hasn’t been increased since

2009

If passed, the minimum wage would increase to

$8 in 2015 and $9 in 2016

Clients willing to tell stories to the media

Op-Eds, Letters to the Editor

Educating clients about ballot initiative

Providing voter registration information

Although the Family and Medical Leave Act

guarantees access to time off for some workers,

(for things like the birth or adoption, prolonged

illness or an ailing family member) it provides no

income replacement

Nationally, only about 11% of workers have

access to paid family and medical leave

Can create significant challenges for lower income

families

States like New Jersey, California and Rhode

Island have started to create systems similar to

disability insurance to provide wage replacement

for family and medical leave

Stories: SNAP (food stamps), child care, paid

family and medical leave

Hearing testimony on a bill

Phone calls, emails

Connect to stay informed

Aubrey Mancuso

Voices for Children in Nebraska

(402) 597-3100

amancuso@voicesforchildren.com

www.voicesforchildren.com

Twitter: @VoicesNE

https://www.facebook.com/voicesforchildreninnebra

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