SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – New data out today show the number of uninsured children in Illinois rose about 8 percent last year, and advocates said they're worried that federal policies could thwart future progress.

Researchers with the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families found for the first time in a decade, the number of children without health coverage in the U.S. has gone up, with 5 percent of kids now uninsured.

In Illinois, it's almost 3 percent. Kathy Waligora, interim executive director of EverThrive Illinois, contends that with an improving economy and low unemployment, the backslide is the result of messages at the national level.

"The rhetoric coming from the Trump administration has left people confused about whether or not they can get insured," Waligora said. "It has left people confused about whether or not they can afford insurance for themselves or their families. And it has scared immigrants that are fearful that enrolling in benefits could have a negative impact on their ability to remain in the country."

Enrollment in a number of public assistance programs already is dropping, because the Trump administration has proposed changes to the "public charge" rules that make the use of certain programs count against legal immigrants when they apply for citizenship. The administration says migrants must be able to support themselves financially.

Joan Alker, report co-author and Georgetown Center executive director, is also convinced that constant attacks on the Affordable Care Act, the move to cut Medicaid and the delay in reauthorizing CHIP all contributed to public unease about signing up.

"The fact that our nation is going backwards on kids' health coverage is very troubling," Alker stressed. "And the fact that all 50 states failed to make progress, even those with the best of intentions, means they really couldn't withstand these strong, national currents to protect their kids from losing coverage."

Waligora added that when children's health needs are met, their parents miss fewer days of work, kids are better able to learn in school and are better equipped to make positive contributions as adults. She implored state leaders to not wait for action at the federal level.

"We know that the climate at the federal level is not going to change right now," she said. "If Illinois does nothing, the uninsured rate for kids will likely continue to climb. So, it's imperative that the state take action in the coming months, in the coming year, to protect kids' health."

Illinois fell in the report from seventh to tenth nationally for the lowest number of uninsured children, which now stands at 89,000 in the state.



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It's a week to celebrate kids, with National Daughters Day today and National Sons Day on Saturday. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is encouraging everyone to remember kids who are looking for their forever homes, and consider fostering or adopting a child.

Rita Soronen, Dave Thomas Foundation president and CEO, said the goal is to find permanent homes for as many children as possible before they age out of the system.

"Single parents can foster and adopt, non-traditional families can foster and adopt. You can live in an apartment, you don't have to own your own home, you don't have to be wealthy. If you have the interest, and the willingness to learn, and the willingness to commit to a child - and you're safe - then you meet that first level of qualification," she said.

She added that states cover medical and other costs associated with kids in foster care. The process to qualify to foster or adopt a child includes a series of classes, background checks and home studies.

The latest statistics show that more than 28,000 children are in the foster care system in Texas. Adrian and Shane Potter adopted siblings 12-year-old Isiah, 10-year-old Jordan and four-year-old Sophia in 2020 after they had been in separate foster homes for years. Adrian Potter said the foundation worked with the adoption agency to get the kids settled with the services they needed.

"Our case worker got us connected to therapists, private tutors, music private lessons, they connected us to a lot of people, " he explained

He said adopting children is life changing in many ways.

"Every day is fun, laughter, every day is a challenge, but every day is also fun because you get to see these kids who have gone through so much learn to trust and learn to love, " he said.

Nearly 360,000 children are in foster care in the United States.

A new federal report shows anti-poverty policies enacted by New Mexico are making a big difference.

This month, the U.S. Census Bureau has released a supplemental report measuring poverty at the state level for the first time.

Emily Wildau, senior research and policy analyst at New Mexico Voices for Children, said the report still ranks the state last in the nation, at 28% under the Official Poverty Measure but when newly enacted state programs are taken into account, poverty decreased dramatically from 2021 to 2023.

"When you look at that same time period, and you use the measure that counts things like refundable tax credits and noncash benefits like SNAP, New Mexico's child poverty rate drops to just 8.9%," Wildau pointed out. "Which is actually better than the national rate."

The national child poverty rate is 10.4%. Wildau noted one disappointing figure in the data: The state's rate of uninsured children rose to almost 6% in 2023, compared to about 4% in 2022, likely because of changes made to Medicaid following the pandemic.

Wildau emphasized many policy changes made by New Mexico lawmakers are not reflected in nationally-generated data looking at children's well-being, often because the policies are new and have not been incorporated into how poverty is measured.

"We're doing really good things," Wildau outlined. "Increasing our state-level Earned Income Tax Credit, adding a new state-level Child Tax Credit and expanding SNAP eligibility October 1st up to 200% of that kind-of official poverty rate."

Along with New Mexico, 13 other states boosted fully refundable Child Tax Credits in 2024, aimed at enhancing economic security for low- and middle-income families. About 43 million people, or 13% of Americans, lived in poverty last year.

The number of West Virginia children living in poverty remains among the highest in the nation, and more children are living in households struggling with hunger, according to the latest federal data.

The end of pandemic supports combined with rising inflation, rent, and the cost of living, are to blame experts say.

The expanded Child Tax Credit cut child poverty in half, said Salaam Bhatti, SNAP Director with Food Research & Action Center.

When it ended, he said more families dipped back into poverty. Now, the child poverty rate has hit nearly 14%.

"Had we added a few more dollars to that program, it could have cut child poverty entirely," said Bhatti. "But it was a deliberate policy choice that the government made to not do that, and then another deliberate choice to remove that expansion."

According to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, child poverty in the Mountain State dipped from 25% in 2022 to around 20% in 2023.

But despite the reduced numbers, the number of kids living in poverty remains among the highest in the nation.

Nearly 14 million children live in households currently experiencing food insecurity, up by more than 3% from 2022.

Bhatti noted that nearly 35% of single parent households headed by women struggle to pay for groceries.

He said his organization wants Congress to protect the Thrifty Food Plan, which sets the standard for the maximum amount of SNAP benefits households receive.

"Some lawmakers want to cut that Thrifty Food Plan adjustment," said Bhatti, "and as a result, that would cut $30 billion from SNAP benefits over the next 10 years."

Experts say kids who eat healthy meals are less likely to develop high blood pressure, diabetes, dental cavities, and other health problems.

But as more kids go hungry or lack access to quality food, they're also more likely to be uninsured.

According to data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the number of children without health coverage rose to nearly 6% in 2023.




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