Economic Success

Why Child Poverty Matters

Today, one in five American children live in poverty, and the numbers are growing.  The recent economic downturn, along with high gas prices, and rising food prices are crippling many families in the U.S.  Poverty exacts a terrible toll on children, families, and our nation as whole.

For children, poverty affects every aspect of well-being from hindering positive development to health to nutrition to early learning. The results of poverty are significant not only on future achievement but its effects are also felt by children in the near term.   As the family is the basic unit of support for children, discussions of strategies for reducing child poverty without consideration of the economic and social pressures faced by families are ineffective.

At 17 percent, the poverty rate for children is higher than working-aged adults (18-64) or seniors (65+).  Children are disproportionately poor, as they make up 35 percent of people living in poverty, but make up only 25 percent of the total U.S. population.

Likelihood of Child Poverty Differs by Race

Child poverty is not simply a function of economics or geography but complex social phenomena, with significant disparities by race. Children who are Hispanic or Black have the highest child poverty rates at 27 percent and 33 percent, compared to White and Asian children, who have lower rates at 14 and 12 percent. Herein is another opportunity to improve public policy interventions for children by examining child poverty through a racial lens.

Single Parents and Work Supports

While the causes of child poverty are myriad, some dynamics are much easier to identify. First, it is well documented that families matter. Census data indicate that child poverty rates differ according to family structure. For example, children in single parent families have higher poverty rates than those in married-couple families.

Comparing all families, the poverty rate for children in families led by single mothers is 42 percent; single fathers 21 percent, compared to 8 percent of children in married-couple families.  From these data, children from homes led by single mothers have higher poverty rates, but the challenge for policymakers is to devise effective work supports for these and other single parent families.

The need for policy initiatives to support single parent families becomes even more apparent when child poverty rates are disaggregated by race and by family structure. One can see that across racial categories, children in married-couple families have lower poverty rates than those in single parent homes.

Child Poverty Rates Vary by Geography

Child poverty also differs according to geography, with rates being higher in cities at 19 percent than in suburban areas, 10 percent,. Similarly, child poverty rates are higher in rural areas than urban areas, 13 percent compared to 18 percent, respectively. When looking across the country, child poverty is lowest in the New England region (9 percent) and highest in the South (19 percent). Despite these top line numbers, not only do child poverty rates vary between states, but there are wide disparities in both income and poverty rates within states.

Child Poverty and the VOICES Network

Reducing poverty is an important issue to the VOICES network. At the state level, close to half of VOICES members are taking on at least some aspect of reducing poverty as a public policy goal. Six VOICES member organizations have launched statewide campaigns to reduce child poverty.  Legislative activities within the network focus on providing work supports to low-income families from the perspective that reducing child poverty means providing adequate supports to their parents.

Recommendations for reducing poverty include instituting a living wage, the greater use and promotion of tax credits (such as EITC), asset development and saving initiatives, affordable housing, health care, food stamps and other nutrition programs, and child care subsidies.

Although close to half of VOICES members are working on some aspect of poverty reduction, some have launched either state or local level comprehensive poverty reduction campaigns. Though not exhaustive, those states include Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.