Percentage of U.S. children in extreme poverty, 2004-2013. The percentage of children in extreme poverty was level at 8 percent before the Great Recession and rose rapidly to 10 percent after. Graphic: Kids Count Data Center 22 July 2015 (Desdemona Despair) – The Kids Count project keeps track of lots of data relating to the health and well-being of children in the United States. Des whipped up this graph in no time using the graphing tool at the Kids Count Data Center. The percentage of children in extreme poverty was level at 8% before the Great Recession and rose rapidly to 10% after, where it has remained since 2010 [cf., Graph of the Day: U.S. children living in low-income and poor families, 2007-2013]. Kids Count Data Center