Report peers into poverty's future

Kids Count is perhaps the most complete long-term study of the quality of life for American kids. It comes out every year. This weekend, Jennifer McKee in Helena reported on the 2007 data, which found among other things:

• The percentage of children living in moderate to severe poverty fell 7 points from 2000 to 2007, down from 49 percent seven years ago.

• The number of children in extreme poverty has almost doubled since 2000, up to 7 percent in 2007, from 4 percent.

Think about the stories begging to be told behind these numbers. What do these numbers tell us about the lives of many Montana children today -- and what do those stories foretell for Montana a decade from now?

Reading this type of data with an open, inquisitive mind can lead to valuable story telling that informs public policy decision making while the process is still malleable, before it devolves into NIMBYisms and city council-style polarity.

Compare Jennifer's version of the story with the AP's. Each interprets the data a bit differently and underscores different social aspects of the study. The AP reports, for instance, that

• The percentage of children living in poverty was unchanged in Montana at 17 percent during both 2000 and 2006. Nationally the rate rose to 18 percent, up 1 percentage point.

I'd argue Jennifer's more nuanced reporting is more valuable in the glimpse it gives behind the numbers. That doesn't mean the AP's version is wrong. It's worth browsing through the data and thinking about the stories the numbers beg you to tell.