Profiles of Children of the Householder

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This is an html transcription of the original Special Report document, authored by Rose M. Kreider, which can be found on the Census Bureau Web site in .pdf format at www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/censr-6.pdf.

Disability and Poverty Status of Children

The Census 2000 long form provided basic information about physical and mental limitations that children may have. For each person aged 5 and over, information was collected on hearing or vision difficulties (sensory disabilities); conditions which limited basic activities (physical disabilities); difficulty in learning, remembering, or concentrating (mental disabilities); and difficulty in getting dressed, bathing, or getting around inside the house (self-care disabilities). People answered these questions as they perceived the capabilities of the individual, regardless of whether the condition fit any medical or legal definitions of a disability.

Table 4 indicates that a higher proportion of adopted children under 19 than of biological and stepchildren under 18 had at least one disability.²² This was true for both boys (15 percent for adopted, compared with 9 percent for stepchildren and 7 percent for biological children) and girls (9 percent for adopted, compared with 5 percent of stepchildren and 4 percent for biological children.. The most commonly reported disability was difficulty learning, remembering, or concentrating, which is categorized in the table under the term "mental disability." Parents who reported this difficulty for their children were likely reporting conditions such as learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, as wel as other conditions. This category may also include children who suffer the effects of maternal drug abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, or any medical condition that affects the child's mental capabilities.

About 3 percent of biological girls under 18 were reported to have difficulty learning, remembering or concentrating, as were about 5 percent of biological boys under 18. The percentages of stepchildren were higher, at 4 percent for girls and about 8 percent for boys. Adopted children had the highest percentages, at 8 percent for girls and 13 percent for boys under 18.

The percentage of children under 18 who had multiple disabilities (more than one of the categories listed) ranged only from 0,9 percent for biological and stepdaughters to 2.5 percent for adopted boys. Although the categories available for analysis do not have exact medical definitions, it appears that adoptive families face significant challenges in dealing with the needs of their children.

While more adopted children under 18 had disabilities, they tended to live in families that were better off economically than their biological counterparts. Table 4 shows that about 12 percent of adopted children of the householder were in poverty, compared with 16 percent of biological children. Stepchildren under 18 recorded the lowest proportion living in poverty (10 percent).

²² The word "disability" as used in this report refers to people who answered "yes" to Census 2000 long form question 16, part a or b, or question 17, part a or b. Question 16 reads: "Does this person have any of the following long-lasting conditions: a. Blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment? b. A condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying?"

The first two parts of Question 17 read: "Because of a physical, metal, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities: a. Learning, remembering or concentrating? b. Dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home?" Since most of the people identified as children of the householder were under 18, the answers to question 17, parts c and d, were not considered for this report since they asked about difficulty going outside the home alone, and difficulty working, and were not asked of people below age 16.

Credits: CENSR-6
by Rose M. Kreider

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