Report: More Illinois children living in poverty

Associated Press

A new report says the number of Illinois children living in areas of high poverty has increased by about a third since 2000.

The annual survey released Tuesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation estimates 347,000 Illinois children live in areas of concentrated poverty. That means more than 1 in 10 children live in neighborhoods where the poverty rate is 30 percent or higher.

This year's Kids Count survey also found some encouraging news about Illinois. There's been a long-term decline in births to teenage mothers. Other health and education indicators are hopeful. And Illinois improved on 11 out of 16 measures.

The report says Illinois ranks 20th among states for overall child well-being. The state's child poverty rate in 2012 was 21 percent, compared to 16 percent in 2005.