| Some analysts say the worst of the recession is | | | | financially." |
| over, news that would be welcomed in the wake | | | | Pennsylvania's poverty rate rose from 1,393,026 |
| of a recent U.S. Census Bureau American | | | | persons (11.6 percent) in 2007 to 1,458,394 (12.1 |
| Community Survey, which shows Bucks County | | | | percent) in 2008, according to the survey. |
| households receiving food stamps has increased | | | | Of 2,705,359 Pennsylvania children, 444,647 (16.4 |
| 42.6 percent over the last two years. | | | | percent) are living in poverty, up from 433,643 |
| Bucks County experienced the largest increase in | | | | (15.9 percent) in 2007. In 2008, the census |
| southeastern Pennsylvania, but it was not alone. | | | | defined the poverty line for a family of two adults |
| Montgomery (41.1 percent), Chester (33.4), | | | | and two children at $21,200; for a family of two |
| Delaware (24.6) and Philadelphia (21.3) counties | | | | adults and one child, it was $17,600. |
| also experienced increases as numbers rose 25 | | | | For southeastern Pennsylvania child poverty rates |
| percent statewide. | | | | rose in Bucks (1.1 percent), Chester (0.9 percent) |
| Bucks County also experienced the largest jump | | | | and Montgomery (1.5 percent) counties, while |
| in southeastern Pennsylvania – 25.4 percent | | | | dropping in Delaware (-0.5 percent) and Philadelphia |
| – for enrollment in Children's Health Insurance | | | | (-3.3 percent) counties. |
| Program (CHIP). | | | | In addition to the increase in poverty levels, the |
| Kathy Fisher, Family Economic Security Associate | | | | percentages of citizens using state or county |
| for Public Citizens for Children and Youth, says the | | | | funded Medicaid has nearly doubled in 2009. |
| increase in enrollment in food stamps and CHIP, | | | | According to Bernard McBride, director of Bucks |
| as well as unemployment insurance and | | | | County Behavioral Health System, approximately |
| extensions show how fragile our safety net is | | | | 6 percent of people in Pennsylvania took |
| responding as designed in a bad economy. | | | | advantage of state or county funded health care, |
| "But with job state losses more severe in 2009 | | | | but that number is now more than 10 percent. |
| than in 2008, the exhaustion of unemployment | | | | “Those are people who don’t have |
| benefits and families eating through their meager, | | | | medical care eligibility,” said McBride. “I |
| if any, savings, the impact on children will likely be | | | | can’t look at the number and say exactly |
| seen in next year's poverty numbers," said Fisher. | | | | why that is, but I can guess that people are |
| "It is more important than ever for government | | | | either losing their jobs along with their benefits, or |
| programs to be strengthened and not further cut | | | | were paying for it themselves, but can no longer |
| so that families have access to basic supports, as | | | | afford to anymore. |
| many will face a long, hard climb to recover | | | | |