The advocacy group's analysis, contained in the annual report "The State of Working Utah, 2008: Looking Back on the Boom," points to the 32 percent jump in the number of children living in poverty between 2000 and 2007.
Based on U.S. Census data, that jump suggests prosperity was not universally shared, officials said. During the same time period, the median household income fell far more steeply in Utah than it did nationwide, the report said.
Lawmakers shouldn't be "lulled into the idea that families are doing fine," said Allison Rowland, the organization's director of budget and research. "What this 2007 comparison confirms is that not everybody was flourishing."
That data coupled with recent price increases in housing, health care, food and gas indicate low-income families will continue to struggle, the group said.
Voices for Utah Children is discouraging further cuts to state social service programs such as child care subsidies that help parents save money and stay employed. Enrollment in CHIP, the children's health insurance program, could also be increased, suggested executive director Karen Crompton.
To read the report, go to www.utahchildren.org.
