Part V - 'Poverty and Potential'

Another major 'Out of School Factor' that contributes towards a child having a difficult time of succeeding in school deals with being medically uninsured. Being uninsured means that there is a better chance that an illness or disease will go untreated.

Untreated aliments may very well keep a student from attending class, putting a child behind when they go back to school. If a student goes to school while being sick, they are probably not going to function very well.

Let's take a look at just who the most vulnerable are in our society.

By looking at income we can see the following:
14.5% of those making between $50,000 and $75,000 are uninsured
21.1% of those making between $25,000 and $50,000 are uninsured
24.5% of those making under $25,000 are uninsured

By looking at race we can see the following:
10.6% of whites (non-hispanic) are uninsured
19.6% of blacks are uninsured
16.5% of Asians are uninsured
32.8% of Hispanics are uninsured

There you have it, being black or Hispanic and in lower income groups means that those people are more likely to be uninsured. Needless to say these students will have a more difficult time in school.

Not only do they need health insurance but they need assistance once they get back to school. Our charity often works with schools in lower income areas. It is where we are truly needed.

Dick