According to U.S. Census reports released last week, more than one out of every two children in Dallas County is living in poverty, and according to local experts the numbers seem to be getting worse.

“I am not shocked at all,” Dallas County Department of Human Resources director James Ware said. “And, without looking at the numbers, I would say that it has been getting worse over the past two years or so.”

According to 2009 estimates from the Census Bureau, 52.7 percent of all children in Dallas County live below the poverty level, which is more than double the state average of 24.6 percent. The nearly 53 percent figure ranks Dallas County the worst in Alabama and the only county in the state to have more than 50 percent of its children living in poverty.

Statistics from both Perry and Wilcox counties show close to 50 percent of children in those counties living in poverty. Perry County estimates show 48.9 percent below the poverty line, while 47.4 percent are below the line in Wilcox County.

“I can tell you that we have noticed more people receiving food stamp assistance over the past two years and more people applying for the help,” Ware said. “We need to remember that every person who applies does not qualify.”

Ware, a 24-year veteran of the Department of Human Resources, says the current situation is among the worst he has seen and used the amount being paid out monthly in food stamp assistance as a measuring tool.

“We hand out close to $2 million in food stamp aid each month,” Ware said. “That gives you some indication of the need out there.”

Whereas Dallas, Perry and Wilcox counties were at or near the bottom in the state, other counties in the Black Belt reported only slightly better figures.

The 18-counties that make up the Black Belt average 38.35 percent of their children living in poverty, with only Crenshaw (28.9), Montgomery (29.1) and Choctaw (29.8) counties recording figures below 30 percent.

The statistics were released last week by the Alabama State Data Center.