Meeting basic needs is something out of reach for many Wisconsin families because of the pandemic.
The challenges facing households with children are detailed in a new national report. This week, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released findings for all states, using weekly census survey data on topics such as food insecurity and health coverage. Nearly one in eight Wisconsin families reported not having enough to eat. Fourteen percent said they were worried about making their rent or mortgage payment. Erica Nelson, race to equity director for the statewide group Kids Forward, said the data are pretty strong evidence of what households with children are going through right now. “I think it’s very concerning that these are sort of self-reported expressions of struggle by the individuals who filled out the survey and who have families,” Nelson remarked.
The national report showed the struggles are more pronounced for families of color. Meanwhile, the Foundation’s Kids Count data center said in Wisconsin, 58% of Black families recently said they had lost employment income since March, compared with 39% of Caucasian families. That separate data collection also used census surveys. Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs for the Foundation, said as Congress tries to hammer out a new COVID relief package, policymakers need to ensure that assistance, both for the short-term and long-term, goes to the people who need it the most.
“We have to get back to the basics,” Boissiere urged. “We have to make sure that the poorest and most fragile families are taken care of and that we’re funding those programs that can have an impact and make sure that everybody’s basic needs are met in this country.”
In addition to aid, Nelson hopes researchers track the long-term impact these struggles will have on marginalized residents. “We will see an impact in years to come of effects in this pandemic through research for lower-income women, especially single mothers, children, folks of color and immigrant families,” Nelson predicted. The report noted there is evidence the crisis is creating more anxiety for households with children.
Twenty-one percent of Wisconsin families reported feeling “down, depressed or hopeless” in recent weeks.
