Access to quality, affordable health care is one of the most important factors in determining whether individuals, families and communities can achieve long-term stability and prosperity.
The Florida Prosperity Initiative’s State of Childhood Poverty in Florida report highlights how closely health is tied to economic mobility. It finds that 16.5% of Florida children live in poverty, with half concentrated in a small share of ZIP codes; just over 15% (152) of Florida’s 983 ZIP codes. Since the Initiative launched, more than 200,000 children have moved out of poverty, but other health care issues persist.
In Northwest Florida, the data highlights both progress and persistent gaps. In Escambia County, the childhood poverty rate is 22.4%, compared with 10.6% in Santa Rosa County and 12.9% in Okaloosa County…