Newly released findings from a study sponsored by the American Indian Children’s Council paint a troubling profile of American Indian children in Los Angeles, one of poverty and poor housing. Study findings published in a policy brief, “The Status of American Indian Children in Los Angeles,� also indicate numerous barriers to childcare and education for American Indian children.

Using three decades of census data to analyze the socioeconomic status of American Indian/Alaska Native children, the study focuses on demographic characteristics, poverty and educational issues. The research was conducted by UCLA’s Ralph and Goldy Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, in partnership with the Los Angeles County American Indian Children’s Council. Additional support was provided by the UCLA Center for Community Partnerships.

One of the major findings is that an unacceptably high number of American Indian/Alaska Native children live in families with very limited income. About one in four falls below the federal poverty line. Other major findings on American Indian and Alaska Native children include:
American Indians and Alaska Natives are a young and rapidly growing population.

American Indian and Alaska Native children are geographically dispersed.

Only about half live in two-parent households.

A disproportionately high percentage face educational barriers.

American Indian and Alaska Native children have less access to childcare.

A previous UCLA study showed that American Indian/Alaska Native children and families are disproportionately concentrated in low-income communities, that American Indians/Alaska Natives are eight times more likely to live in the poorest neighborhoods than non-Hispanic whites and are only one-fifth as likely to live in the most affluent neighborhoods. The lack of geographic concentration also is a barrier to providing services to this population, according to the report.

The socioeconomic patterns described in the policy report provide valuable information for policies and programs to address and alleviate the challenges facing indigenous populations in the Los Angeles region, according to researchers at the Lewis Center, a research center of the UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research.