Guest opinion: Every child deserves to live Colorado`s good life

When you mention Colorado, most people immediately think of the great outdoors, ski trips, high country adventures.

Something that might not come to mind is child poverty. But in fact, Colorado has the fastest growing rate of child poverty in the United States. It`s a dubious distinction.   On April 13 the Children`s Campaign released the report, 2010 Kids Count in Colorado! The 2010 report revealed that, since 2000, the number of children living in poverty has continued to grow faster in Colorado than anywhere else in the nation. The data also shows that the growth of poverty and its impacts disproportionately affect children of color.   Black and Latino children are twice as likely to live in poverty in Colorado as their white counterparts. But children counted among Colorado`s poor represent a wide racial and ethnic spectrum. They live in areas rural, urban, and, as in other areas of the country, suburban. The reasons for their poverty are varied. What they have in common, according to Chris Watney of the Colorado Children`s Campaign, is that they are more likely to do poorly in school, more likely to experience ill health that is preventable, more likely to face challenges that will hinder their future success.   Poverty is defined as having little or no money, goods or means of support. In Colorado, poverty is similarly defined by dollars and cents: $14,000 a year or less for a single parent with one child, $21,020 a year or less for a family of four. Imagine growing up in such a family. Imagine how your family would struggle just to keep a roof overhead, food on the table. But when children grow up in poverty, they and their families are not the only ones who suffer. We all pay a cost. Children who do not have the tools and resources to thrive have a hard time fully contributing to their communities or to society. But it doesn`t have to be this way.   Not in Colorado. Not anywhere.   A statewide coalition has begun to come together to change it. We have a clear goal: to cut poverty in our state in half over the next ten years. We`re part of a national effort called the Half in Ten Campaign. We`re committed to the idea that no Coloradan should live in poverty, and we`re planning some first steps. We`ll bring together anti-poverty activists, policymakers, social service providers, educators, faith leaders, mental health counselors, job specialists and others.   We`ll continue to educate ourselves about what it will take to end poverty, including advocating for federal and state assistance with child care costs for low and moderate income families, increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit, and re-crafting foreclosure prevention policies so that more working families can stay in their homes. There are other strategies that we believe will help cut poverty: Making the new green jobs economy more accessible to more workers, raising the minimum wage and allowing unemployment insurance benefits for more people so families can get by in this tough economy.   We have a lot of work to do.   We must convince all of Colorado that poverty can be reduced -- and convince more of our citizens to join and/or support the Half in Ten effort.   Perhaps this image will convince you.   Imagine every child in Colorado; all with full bellies, safe homes, a chance at a good education, access to health care -- and a fair shot at enjoying the Rocky Mountain good life and the American Dream that so many of us take for granted.   Linda Meric is Executive Director of 9to5, National Association of Working Women. The Colorado Statewide Half in Ten Campaign is led by 9to5`s Colorado Chapter. To learn more, email Bridget Kaminetsky at bridget [at] 9to5 [dot] org. For more information, visit halfinten.org and 9to5.org.