Florida
State Government
Governor
Ron DeSantis (R)
State Senate
12
Democrats,
28
Republicans
State House
36
Democrats,
84
Republicans
Economic well-being - Florida
Extreme poverty rate
0.1
Food insecurity
0.1
Minimum wage
13.0
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.3
Poverty rate
12.0%
Unemployment rate
3.8
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
10.9
Poverty by demographic - Florida
Child poverty rate
0.2
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
31000
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
445000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
628000
Senior poverty rate
12.1 %
Women in poverty
11,688,390
Orlando Sentinel, November 25, 2012: Central Florida homeless students' numbers rise for 5th year
"The number of Central Florida students like Elian who are considered homeless has risen for a fifth straight year. Last school year, thousands more children were found living in hotels or shelters or crammed into homes with other families or neighbors, according to new data from the Department of Education."
The Press Enterprise, November 09, 2012: School boosts learning with Target Time
"Casillas and Leslie Hahn, who coaches other teachers on instructional strategies, said they think their school's test scores will continue to rise, despite growing poverty in the west Riverside neighborhood. About 84 percent of students are from low income families, a figure that has risen about 10 percent since 2008, Casillas said."
The Bradenton Herald, October 31, 2012: (Editorial) A strong case for taking more stock in children
"This simple concept has been working wonders for years: Pave the road to success for low-income and at-risk youth by promising to pay for college. Ensure that commitment with a student's pledge to keep up good grades, obey the law and join a mentoring program. Take Stock in Children does exactly as its name implies, investing in the next generation of American citizens."
The Bradenton Herald, October 29, 2012: Take Stock in Children hopes for more donations with non-profit
"Take Stock in Children guarantees low-income and at-risk students a four-year college education at a Florida public school if they sign a contract promising to maintain good grades, stay drug- and crime-free and meet with a mentor on a regular basis. On Monday, community leaders involved with the program officially announced that they have formed their own nonprofit organization in the hopes that they can raise more money to sponsor more students."
The Bradenton Herald, October 28, 2012: Take Stock in Children to form own nonprofit
"Take Stock in Children began in Florida in 1995, and the program has been in Manatee County for almost that long. The program provides mentors to low-income and at-risk students, who sign contracts saying they will keep their grades up and stay drug-free to keep tuition scholarships. Many participants are the first in their families to attend college or high school."
Naples Daily News, October 19, 2012: Early learning advocates call for equity in state child care funding
"Funding for subsidized child care should be based on a region's poverty levels, the number of children younger than five and the number who fall into must serve' categories, local child care providers and advocates told a state early learning leader on Thursday."