Statistics are hard to come by which specifically outline how many children are in shelters or homeless in the United States, although I think everyone would agree the number is high. That said, here are some numbers we do now about poverty, and when you consider there are so many unaccounted for, it is really sad.
Here are some facts about poverty in the US, published in Sept of 2009 (www.census.gov).
*The nation's official poverty rate in 2008 was 13.2%, with almost 40 million people in poverty. This is the highest percentage since 1997.
*In 2008, the family poverty rate increased to 9.8, and children under the age of 18 in poverty increased to 19%.
The US Dept of Health funded a study in 2005, which analyzed the trauma faced by children that are homeless. Unsurprisingly, the results are alarming.
*Each year, over 1.3 million children are homeless
*More then 90% of sheltered and low-income mothers have experienced physical and sexual assault.
*Homeless children are sick at twice the rate of other children. They suffer twice as many ear infections, have asthma 4 times as much, and have 5 times more diarrhea and stomach problems.
*By the time homeless children are 8 years old, one in three has a major mental disorder.
