European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 10, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes sunday november 10, 1985 a vast new class of poor americans by Andrew h. Malcolm new York times c Complex social economic and political factors Are combining to create avast new class of poor americans whore much younger less educated anymore Likely to give birth sooner than re cent generations of the poor. The development of a growing mass of politically silent poor youth in an affluent nation that is experiencing continued economic expansion is described by some experts As a virtual social revolution with unpredictable financial and political ramifications. But the phenomenon which touches every state and racial group to varying degrees has received Little serious political notice in comparison to the attention Given to providing for the elderly and cur tailing Domestic spending. The . Today May be the first society in history where children Are much worse off than adults sen. Daniel Patrick Moynohan . Said in an interview. It is time we realized we have a problem of significant social change in this country unlike anything we have experienced in the past. And we Are completely ignoring  for decade Aid for the poor has received intermittent attention in Washington. But while the an Nual National debate rages Over taxes military spending and other budget priorities some govern ment experts and Many private analysts Are expressing concern about the vide implications of creating new generations of poor youths. The reasons according to a number of experts Are Many and Complex and Are tied to certain government policies and deep social changes that spending will not easily cure. 8om� of the Factor Are shown in statistics from a variety of government and private social agencies about 13.8 million or 22 percent of americans under the age of 18 live in poverty up from 14.3 percent in 1969-70. Forty eight percent of All Black children live in poverty up from 39.6 percent in 1969. The Federal government defines the poverty level for a family of four this year As an income of $10,650. Poor White children outnumber poor Black Chil Dren two to one but while Blacks comprise Only 15 percent of All children they equal 32 percent of All poor children. In the Northeast in 1983, 19,7 percent of those under the age of 18 lived in poverty up from 15 percent in 1975. In 1979, the child poverty rate in new York was t9 percent up from 12.7 percent in 1969. The rate in new Jersey was 14.1 percent up from 9,2 percent in 1969. Connecticut s rate in 1979 was 11. 4 percent up from 7.8 percent since 1969. Children living with a Mother in a single Parent Home were Lour times More Likely to be poor than those in two Parent Homes but recent child poverty rates actually grew More rapidly in two Parent Homes. Of the 790,000 families who fell into poverty from 1981 to 1983, 430,000 of them were in House holds with two parents. One sixth of All children below the official government poverty level about 2.5 million Are living in poverty a spite the fact that at least one adult in the family holds a full time Job. While government programs and considerable spending have significantly reduced poverty among elderly americans the number of poor american children has increased by More than three million since 1968 while government spending on their problems when the effects of inflation Are taken into account has declined. Taxes paid by Many poor people have increased. One third of All the nation s poor families Man age to climb above the official poverty level each year although they Are quickly replaced by financially stricken newcomers. Only 22 percent of All american children live in families headed by women but More than half of All poor children live in such households. This is twice the 1959 rate. With parents marital status possibly a key determinant of a child s poverty both the Numar and rate of births to unmarried teen agers have been increasing. The biggest increase has been in the District of Columbia where 88 percent of All teen age mothers in 1982 were unwed virtually Guaran teeing Mother and child a Long experience with Pov erty. These and other developments take on particular meaning in contrast to the number of elderly Ameri cans considered to be impoverished which declined from 35.2 percent of those Over 65 years old in 1959 to 12.4 percent last year. Much of this is attributed by social scientists and government officials to the political Power the elderly have exhibited in lobby ing for such things As increasing social Security benefits in step with inflation. And we expect the elderly poverty rate to continue to decline said Wendell e. Primus a staff economist Tor the House ways and Means commit tee. At hmm Tom he noted the poverty rate for children has grown since 1969 while he value of payments from the main welfare program. Aid to families with dependent children has fallen by one third. If welfare payments had just kept up with inflation Primus said we d be spending $6 billion to $7 billion More per  but increasing welfare payments is politically in popular he said at a time of mounting Federal Bud get deficits. Precise comparisons Are difficult but according to some estimates More than 30 percent of the Federal budget involves spending for older americans while Only 3 percent to 5 percent is spent on children. This City for All its faults reflects the american electorate Primus said. And the american electorate at the moment is not aware of child poverty and unwilling to spend Money on it. Until that pendulum swings Back there will be no great dramatic movements Tor  beyond the Issue of Public awareness there Are Many other factors. For one thing said Moynohan Long an expert on the family american women Are younger when they reach sexual maturity. Whereas girls in the 19th Century reached sexual maturity at age 17, when Many were already working Moynohan said american girls today Are physically capable of reproducing on the average at the age of 12. It s a Law of nature Moynohan said. You repro Duce As soon As you Are of age to reproduce. It s True of Apple Trees and lizards and  thu More children Are having More children at the time when they can earn the least and when educational requirements for anything above the least skilled labor Are climbing. A family is formed when a child is born Moynohan said in a lecture last Spring. When an unwed teen Ager gives birth a broken family is  one of the More striking changes has been the increase in Young mothers who do not marry a Deci Sion now widely accepted socially but one that halves the number of potential family earners. Typically the Mother drops out of school one of every six american students Falls to Complete High school one in four does not graduate by the age of 18 further narrowing future Job options. And typically the Mother becomes pregnant again within two years. Given the links in american society Between employment and health insurance the unemployed Mother and her child frequently born underweight for Lack of prenatal care tend to remain outside the usual health care system according to Sara Roaen Baum health director for the children s defense fund in Washington. They become sicker More often and place More financial strains on treatment facilities. A growing number of medical institutions now restrict the number of uninsured patients treated. While medicaid and other welfare programs help pay medical costs for Many poor children Rosen Baum asserted that eligibility requirements left Many without adequate cars. There is nothing like medicare for kids said Rosenbaum referring to the health care program for the elderly and disabled. It s not that we have gaps in our medical system for children we have gaping holes that have never been filled by any administration. And this one is cutting Back existing  i m sorry to Tell you this. But some of you will have to k Laid off for a while