Report: Many Rhode Island children under 5 living in poverty

kids count

WPRO News and the Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – A new report says more than a quarter of children under 5 years old in Rhode Island live in poverty.

The children’s advocacy group Rhode Island KIDS COUNT released its latest report on the state’s infants and toddlers Thursday.

The report says 26 percent of children under 5 in the state are living in poverty. That’s more than 14,000 children. The report says an additional 23 percent live in families with incomes below 200 percent of the poverty line.

The advocacy group says poverty is especially harmful to young children, whose brains are still developing. It also says young children are the most likely age group to experience child abuse or neglect.

The report includes a series of recommendations, including expanding the availability of affordable housing.

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