Report shows effects of pandemic on families

A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation details how households with children are faring during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of food security, economic stability, healthcare access and education.

A Kids Count Policy Report released Dec. 14 shows how American households are faring during the pandemic. Data used comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey from Sept. 16 to Oct. 12.

The report shows that 14 percent of households with children surveyed sometimes or often do not have enough food. The percentage of Michigan households reporting food insecurity was slightly higher at 15 percent.

A higher percentage of Michigan households reported feeling down, depressed or hopeless — 22 percent compared to a national number of 21 percent.

In Michigan, 7 percent of respondents said they did not have health insurance, lower than the national average of 12 percent and lower than 39 other states. More Michigan families were confident in their ability to pay their rent or mortgage as well, with 15 percent saying they had little or no confidence in paying on time compared to 18 percent nationally.

African-American and Hispanic households, as well as those with people who are two or more races, were more likely to report struggles, with each having a higher percentage than national average in each category.

One-third of adults with children surveyed said they are likely to leave their home do to eviction or foreclosure. That number rose to 36 percent for Hispanic families and 39 percent for African-American families.

The report also includes data from a Washington University in St. Louis study conducted from Aug. 10 through Sept. 2 which found that nearly a third of respondents were likely to not return to work due to lack of child care.

Thirty-two percent of 997 people surveyed said they somewhat or strongly agreed that they are less likely to return to work. That number rose to 39 percent among Latino families.

The same study found that 49 percent of households said there was no adult available to help children with schoolwork, that 36 percent were unable to provide their kids with a quiet place to study and 32 percent lacked adequate broadband internet and online learning tools.

At the end of the report, the AECF lists several recommendations on how the country can “enable America’s children and families to weather” the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organization calls for leaders to put racial and ethnic equity first in response efforts. It encourages leaders to use disaggregated data and engage community stakeholders in the policymaking process to ensure the perspectives of those hit hardest are informing decisions.

The report also calls for prioritization of physical and mental health of all children, including making COVID-19 vaccines available to all without cost as a barrier, strengthening the Affordable Care Act and working to reduce student-to-counselor ratios in local schools by increasing federal and state funding.

To help families with children achieve financial stability, the report recommends expanding unemployment access for part-time, gig, low-wage and student workers, eliminating barriers to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, providing relief grants to center- and home-based child care providers and increasing the overall availability of public housing.

The AECF also calls for schools to be “better and more equitably funded” and ready to meet the needs of students disparately affected by the pandemic.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.