A new report shows poverty among children and families could rise even higher for several years after the economy begins to recover.
The information is contained in the statewide "Illinois Kids Count 2010" report from the Voices for Illinois Children.
It indicates that rising unemployment and a growing need for food stamps will result in more people living in poverty, as high as 24-percent by 2012.
One social service provider says families must figure out ways to spend less money for basic needs like healthcare.
"When tight times come, economically instead of moving to prevention we move away from it and then it costs more both to the children in the families and to the community," said Farrell Davies with Heartland Clinic.
One economic development official predicts that jobs within the small business sector will be among those to recover first from the recession.
Jim McConoughey says there are now 18-thousand small businesses in central Illinois compared to 13-thousand a decade ago.
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