Missouri
State Government
Governor
Mike Parson (R)
State Senate
9
Democrats,
24
Republicans
State House
51
Democrats,
111
Republicans
Economic well-being - Missouri
Extreme poverty rate
0.1
Food insecurity
0.2
Minimum wage
13.8
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.3
Poverty rate
12.3%
Unemployment rate
4.1
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
7.7
Poverty by demographic - Missouri
Child poverty rate
0.2
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
N/A
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
94000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
49000
Senior poverty rate
10.8 %
Women in poverty
3,088,608
Springfield News-Leader, April 21, 2013: Is your child Ready to Learn?
"A 2010 study by the Mayor's Commission for Children showed one out of every five local children is "not prepared" for kindergarten. That number is even higher among children in families that straddle the poverty line. Children without quality early childhood experiences lack the social, emotional and basic academic skills necessary to function in a classroom setting so they can participate, follow simple instructions and learn alongside their peers."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 20, 2013: Missouri early childhood advocates hope to avoid repeat of cuts last year
"Last year - in what was widely viewed as a bad year for early childhood education - the Missouri Legislature trimmed $14 million in funding for child care and preschool programs, mostly in last-minute deals to balance the budget. Blaylock said the cuts placed his preschool, CoCo's Kidz of St. Louis, in a lurch. The licensed center lost all of its 17 subsidized slots for infants and toddlers in low-income families."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 27, 2013: (Editorial) Kids with good grades and no money should aim at best colleges
"The authors found that many of the top low-income students don't know about the amount of financial aid available at the top colleges, and wind up going to community colleges or four-year institutions closer to their homes. They frequently don't have role models who have attended elite colleges. They don't think they can hack the coursework or afford the ancillary expenses to attend such schools."
Springfield News-Leader, March 08, 2013: Schools brace for impact of less federal funding
"Federal funding to help educate Missouri's low-income and special education students is expected to take a big hit during the next school year."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 2013: Collinsville's cost to educate homeless students
"With the homeless student population in the Collinsville school district steadily increasing, the task of educating children who are classified as homeless has become costly."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 11, 2013: (Editorial) ADHD drugs bad medicine for poor academic performance?
"Dr. Ramesh Raghavan, a child mental-health services researcher at Washington University and an expert in prescription drug use among low-income children, said there are circumstances in which prescribing medication is a doctor's only recourse to help a child struggling in school.But he added that society should not force doctors into those situations, and should make available other methods to improve school environments and help families and children who are finding it difficult to thrive academically."