Child Poverty Facts and Figures

Today there are over 13 million children living in poverty in the Unites States, and that number is increasing every day. The federal government defines poverty, as a family of four, living on an annual income of $22,050 or less. There is ample evidence that, to meet their needs, a family of four needs twice that amount of money to cover their basic needs. If you use that standard then 39% of children in this country live in low-income families.

Many of these children have parents that work, but because of low wages and unstable employment it is difficult for them to make ends meet. Poverty impedes children's health, their ability to learn, and contributes to social, emotional and behavioral problems.

The government's poverty measures were established in the 1960s and, while they are updated for inflation, they are essentially unchanged. The distinction between living in poverty and being in a low-income family is relatively simple. A low-income family is one that lives on an income that is below twice the poverty level, or $44, 000 for a family of four. Based on these statistics, there are:

• 2. 7 million children under 3 living in poverty and another 5.4 living in low-income families.
• 1.7 million children between 3 and 4 live in poverty and another3.5 million are low-income families.
•  4.9 million children between 5 and 11 live in poverty and another 11 million living in low-income families.

Many of these families struggle to pay for the basics such as food, fuel, and rent; they often cannot afford what we take for granted, a winter coat for their children.

To learn more about the complexities and issues surrounding children living in poverty and low-income families go to the National Center for Children in Poverty, operated by the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

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Source: The National Center for Children in Poverty