Voices for Children released its Kids Count in Nebraska report last month. Chrissy Tonkinson, Research Coordinator at Voices for Children, says the report found that the annual median household income in Nebraska has fallen by over $900 in the past ten years.
She says 41% of Nebraska children are living in low income families.
These families face more challenges than their middle class counterparts including lack of access to early educational opportunities.
But Tonkinson says not all of the findings were negative.
"57% of Nebraska families qualify as middle income. When you group middle and high income, 83% of our families in Nebraska are in those income classes which is great. A strong middle class is imperative to a thriving economy. 10,500 kids were arrested in 2013 and this was a drop from around 12,000 the year prior."
Kids Count covers five main issue areas: health, child welfare, juvenile justice, education and economic stability.