One in Five American Children Lives in Poverty

Study finds 14.7 million children were poor in 2009 across the U.S.

A national study published Wednesday reveals that child poverty rose in 38 states from 2000 to 2009.

Research by the Annie E. Casey Foundation has found that 20% of children in 2009 were poor.

The recession caused poverty rates to increase, especially affecting children living in low-income families with parents who were unemployed or underemployed.

What these children have suffered may have a negative impact on their futures and on our economy. According to National Center for Children in Poverty, nearly 15 million children in the United States live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level - $22,050 a year for a family of four.

"People who grew up in a financially secure situation find it easier to succeed in life, they are more likely to graduate from high school, more likely to graduate from college and these are things that will lead to greater success in life," said Stephen Brown, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "What we are looking at is a cohort of kids who as they become adults may be less able to contribute to the growth of the economy. It could go on for multiple generations."

According to the National Kids Count Program, 20% of children in the U.S. were living in poverty in 2009. The research is based on data from many sources, including the Mortgage Bankers Association, National Delinquency Survey and U.S. Census Bureau. In the above map, the light blue represents the least amount of poor kids in a state while the darkest blue represents the highest percentage of kids in a state.