DENVER -- Colorado families with children are struggling to meet their basic needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new Annie E. Casey Foundation report.
Sarah Hughes, vice president of research initiatives at the Colorado Children's Campaign, said the pandemic has exposed big holes in Colorado's safety-net programs, where families of color more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19 also have been disproportionately experiencing food and housing insecurity for years.
"Before the pandemic hit, we still had 150,000 Colorado children who were living in poverty," Hughes said. "And so for those families, these are not new problems, but they may have seen those problems get even worse."
Nearly 1 in 8 families say they worry about paying next month's rent or mortgage, and 11% say they don't know where their next meal will come from.
Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs with the Casey foundation, said families are struggling to manage school, work and mental health — 20% reported experiencing signs of depression since the pandemic's onset.
"All children, in good times and in bad, should have their basic needs met," Boissiere said. "Children should not be hungry. They should have safe, secure housing. They should have access to quality education. Parents should have access to child care so that they can work to support those families."
Hughes said true recovery is going to take decisive policy action by state and federal elected officials to focus on kids and families.
"Families really can't overcome these challenges on their own," Hughes said. "They can't do it by working harder, by being more frugal. No amount of individual resourcefulness is going to change the situation that we find ourselves in right now."
The report's recommendations include prioritizing racial equity in recovery efforts, strengthening the Affordable Care Act and expanding access to unemployment insurance.
