Children and Poverty

Poverty and Children in the United States

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Poverty and Children in the United States

Child poverty in the United States has been a controversial and debatable topic for the last few decades. More than one in five children in the United States lived in poverty according to the 2010 ACS (Macartney, 2011). Most children in poverty are not having their nutritional, school and social needs met. In this paper we will explore what child poverty is and how it is being handled in the United States. Also, what programs are in place to help reduce the rate of child poverty.

What is Child Poverty?

Child poverty refers to children that are living in less than acceptable conditions, in families that make less than what the government states is below the U.S. threshold. Studies have shown that children that are raised in poverty are not having their nutritional needs met, lack healthcare, are victims of crime and violence, live in substandard housing, and do not have as much access to educational opportunities. A couple of the problems contributing to this epidemic are the state of the economy, unemployment issues and the recession’s effects on the governmental programs in place.

Child poverty and Race

If we look at child poverty from a racial point, another problem that needs more resolutions in the United States becomes clear. The numbers of African American children in poverty compared to white children are more than double the percentage. A very sad picture is painted in our minds of a country that has a major problem that needs attention. Families that live in poverty can carry this characteristic from generation to generation. In an economy where families struggle to get and keep jobs on a daily basis, it is a struggle to stay where they are let lone gain ground.

Factors in poverty

There are many factors that contribute to whether or not a child is living in poverty. One of the factors that stands out the most and is...