Research by the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that child poverty increased in 38 states from 2000 to 2009. As a result, 14.7 million children, 20 percent, were poor in 2009. That represents a 2.5 million increase from 2000, when 17 percent of the nation's youth lived in low-income homes.
While California has shown improvements in several categories, the study found that the housing crisis is putting more of the state's children at risk
Nationwide, 4 percent of children were affected by foreclosure since 2007. In California, 7 percent, nearly 1 million children, were affected by foreclosure since 2007
The study ranks the states. New Hampshire topped the list for child well-being, while Mississippi was at the bottom. California ranked No. 16.
Jacob Taylor, 7, lives in a shelter. His mother, Marqueta Bourgeois, earned nearly $2,000 per month working at a bank trying to collect from families facing foreclosure. Then she lost her job. Her monthly income is now $286.
At the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles, Rev. Andy Bales says their intake of families is breaking a record.
"We have fifty families here at the mission, 96 children here," he said. "At Hope Gardens, we have 43 families and 93 children."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
