Our Approach

Our Work

• Child Welfare / Permanence
• Community Change
• Economic Security
• Education
• Health
• Juvenile Justice
• Special Interest Areas

Casey Places

Strengthening Rural Families

Poverty is not confined to urban neighborhoods. In rural communities across the United States, child poverty rates register above the national average, with nearly one in five children living in poverty.

Based on the principle that children do well when their families do well, and families do better when they live in supportive communities, the Casey Foundation invests in three areas to improve the outcomes of children and families in isolated and economically distressed rural communities:

• Building better futures for vulnerable rural children often begins by improving the current circumstances of their parents. The Rural Family Economic Success framework offers strategies to help families increase their income, stabilize their financial lives, acquire assets and build wealth.
• Children and families in isolated rural areas share many of the challenges found in inner-city neighborhoods; they struggle with economies in transition, isolation from opportunity, and scarce resources. Rural and urban coalitions come together around shared values and similar challenging circumstances. By joining their efforts, they can capitalize on their similarities to influence change at the state and local level. The report RuBAN: Bridging Economically Isolated Rural and Urban Communities, by the Community Development Partnerships' Network, in partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, attests to these commonalities.

• Objective, scientific data provides the best foundation for informed debate and sound policy decisions. Reports include City and Rural KIDS COUNT Data Book, Rural KIDS COUNT Pocket Guide 2004, and several Casey-funded reports from the Carsey Institute: Demographic Trends in Rural and Small Town America, and Rural America Depends on the Food Stamp Program to Make Ends Meet.

  
  

Learn more

• See all resources on rural families in the Casey Knowledge Center.