Chester County is Nice… Depending on Who You Ask

Chester County is a nice place to live.  Throughout the recession, the median family income never dropped below $100,000.  In 2010, the Inquirer reported that Chester County was among the 25 richest counties in the nation.  That’s out of more than 3,000 counties.  On the whole, the financial situation in Chester County is a good one.  But when we look a little deeper we find a troubling trend: while things are fine at the top of the economic spectrum, things are getting worse at the low end—especially for children.

While the median family income in Chester County is within 1% of where it was in 2008, the number of children living in poverty has increased 55% in that period.  Of those children living in poverty, nearly half of them are living in deep poverty, below half the poverty line.  That’s less than $12,000 a year for a family of four.  But why focus on children?  Because poverty does not affect everyone equally; in Chester County, the poverty rate for children is nearly 50% higher than that of seniors.  Children make up less than a quarter of the county’s population, but almost half of its population receiving food stamps.

 

Children make up such a large percentage of those receiving food stamps because their enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) jumped 56% from FY 2009-10 to 20012-13.  Unfortunately, SNAP benefits were reduced in November 2013, leading a family of four, on average, to lose 21 meals per month.  There are other programs available to ensure children receive the nutrition they need, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP).  Regrettably, while the number of Chester County students eligible for free or reduced-price meals has increased 27% since 2008, participation rates in NSLP and SBP have actually dropped.  In fact, while every school district in the county saw its number of eligible students rise, none serve breakfast to more than a third of those eligible.  The number of eligible students more than doubled in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District, yet they serve breakfast to less than 5% of those eligible for the program.

 

One of the problems of living in such an affluent county is that there can be a stigma attached to enrolling in supplemental assistance programs, such as signing up your children for free or reduced-price school meals.  With low pre-recession unemployment rates, Chester County is not used to dealing with so many people in need, people at the low-end of the economic spectrum who were hit much harder than the majority of the county.  It is imperative that schools and local municipalities do whatever they can to ensure that their students get the nutrition they need, whether this means changing the time, location and method of service of breakfast or reaching out to parents with the benefits of enrollment.  It is true that taken as a whole, things look good for Chester County; but it won’t truly be good until that can be said about every child in the county.

Heading in the Wrong Direction: More Delaware County Children Suffer from Hunger and Poverty

In Delaware County, children—particularly young children—are more likely to be living in poverty than any other age group.  The number of economically disadvantaged students continues to rise, and Delco school districts are struggling to meet their needs.  To fully understand the problem, we must delve deeper into food insecurity in Delaware County.

Since 2008, the share of children in poverty in Delaware County has increased 30% and the number of students eligible for free and reduced price school meals increased 20%.  But there’s a difference between recognizing a need and fulfilling it.  In 2012, 12 of Delaware County’s 15 school districts served school breakfast to less than a quarter of eligible students.  The Springfield School District has seen a nearly 80% rise in the number students eligible for free or reduced price meals; looking closer, we find only 8% of eligible students were served breakfast.  But the most egregious district is Marple Newtown, where the number of eligible students more than doubled.  Marple Newtown does not offer a breakfast program.

In fact, countywide, participation in school meals has actually dropped since 2008, despite the rise in need.  Only two out of three eligible students receive lunch, a nearly 10% drop, while participation in school breakfast has dropped five percent to less than a third of eligible students.  Of course, school isn’t the only place where children need assistance with food.  The number of Delaware County children enrolled in SNAP (food stamps) increased 31% in the last three years to the point where children make up more than two out of every five SNAP participants in Delco, despite being less than a quarter of the population.  Unfortunately, as of November 1st, SNAP benefits were reduced so that Delaware County families will lose an estimated $6.7 million in benefits in the coming year.

For the 16% of Delaware County children experiencing food insecurity, the problems don’t end with being hungry in class.  Ultimately, food insecurity exacts a huge cost as it contributes to a greater likelihood of limited employability, lessened workforce productivity, poorer job performance, and $260,000 lower lifetime earnings.  “A growing number of parents all across Delaware County are having trouble putting food on the table for their children,” said Kathy Fisher, PCCY’s family economic security director for PCCY.  “Now, more than ever, it is important for county leaders to do everything they can so children don't go hungry in Delaware County.”

Hunger doesn’t come out of nowhere.  Food insecurity is not caused solely by a lack of access to benefits.  If people can afford proper nutrition, they’ll supply it for their children.  While the nation has spent the last four years pulling itself out of the recession, the median income in Delaware County is actually $5,600 less than it was in 2008.  As you may have imagined, families on the lower end of the economic spectrum were hit the worst.  One in four families in Delco makes less than $45,000 a year, up 23% since 2008. The best strategy for reducing childhood hunger and food insecurity is a job that pays a decent wage for parents.  If our legislators don’t take action to help get these families back on their feet, there’s little hope for children who don’t have enough on their plates.