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    Poverty and uninsured rates drop, thanks to pandemic-era policies

    Child poverty is at a historic low, according to Census bureau data, and the rate of those without health insurance dropped in 2021. But the good news may be short-lived, as policy measures expire.
    by Selena Simmons-Duffin Sep 13, 2022 3 minutes
    Volunteers deliver water and other items to the homeless in Los Angeles. Poverty rates dropped in 2021 thanks in part to pandemic policy measures, but poverty advocates fear they will rise again without those measures in place.
    Updated September 13, 2022 at 6:21 PM ET

    The Census Bureau released some heartening news Tuesday.

    Child poverty is at a historic low, according to the bureau's annual report on income, poverty and health insurance. And the rate of Americans without health insurance also dropped in 2021 compared to the previous year.

    But the good news may be short lived. Both gains were driven by temporary pandemic-related policies, and without action by policymakers, they could quickly unravel.

    Child tax credit key to drop in poverty

    Childhood poverty dropped substantially in 2021, falling from 9.7% in 2020 down to 5.2%. The overall

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