More kids living in poverty in Illinois

CHICAGO (AP) – A new report says the number of Illinois children living in areas of high poverty has increased by about a third since 2000.

The annual survey by the Annie E. Casey Foundation estimates 347,000 Illinois children live in areas of concentrated poverty. That means more than 1 in 10 children live in neighborhoods where the poverty rate is 30 percent or higher.

The report says Illinois ranks 20th among states for overall child well-being. The state’s child poverty rate in 2012 was 21 percent, compared to 16 percent in 2005.

This year’s Kids Count survey did find some encouraging news about Illinois. There’s been a long-term decline in teenage moms.