Children & Poverty
Children are often the voiceless victims of poverty. In the United States, the number of children living in poverty can be staggering, especially in light of the recent economic recession. The following resources provide information about children living in poverty in the United States, as well as policy information and additional resources.
State a& National Income Statistics - Case Studies & Reports - Contributing Factors - Helpful Resources
State & National Income Statistics
- State Demographics is a wizard that provides custom information about children in poverty across the United States. Enter the data that interests you to generate a report.
- National Center for Children in Poverty is a public policy center that focuses on low-income families in America. The site provides many resources, including statistics by state using an interactive map.
- U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates provides statistics by state, county, and school districts, based on census information. The reports were released December 2010.
- Child Poverty by the Numbers lists statistics that summarize the state of childhood poverty in the United States based on the U.S. Census’s Bureau’s findings. This article, posted by the Center for American Progress, provides an informative and high-level summary on children living in poverty in the United States.
- Kids Count Data Center, produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, provides statistics related to child poverty by state and across states.
- Children in the States Factsheets, produced by the Children’s Defense Fund, uses an interactive map to report data about the status of children in each state.
Case Studies & Reports on Child Poverty
- National Poverty Center’s Marriage and Family research provides a variety of working papers, abstracts, and other research briefs related to families struggling with poverty. The center works out of the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
- Who Are America’s Poor Children? is a report produced by the National Center for Children in Poverty that examines health access of poor children and how this affects them throughout their lives.
- Carsey Institute Report: The Unequal Distribution of Child Poverty examines the different populations of children who are poor.
- Addressing Child Poverty in America (PDF) is a report produced by Voices for America’s Children, The Forum. The report takes two perspectives on child poverty and analyzes causes and implications for America.
- The Worst of Times: Children in Extreme Poverty in the South and Nation is a 2010 report that examines the causes and effects of children living in extreme poverty in the United States. The report finds that the majority of children living in extreme poverty are in the South.
Contributing Factors to Childhood Poverty
- Institute for Research on Poverty is a research institute focused on poverty in the United States. This University of Wisconsin center examines the causes and results of poverty. The site provides a variety of studies and publications about the causes of poverty, including childhood poverty.
- The Center for American Progress focuses on a variety of issues in the United States, including poverty. The center’s main page for “Poverty & Mobility” provides articles, reports, and information about contributing factors to poverty in America.
- Child Poverty Rises Dramatically in Most States is a report posted by the Economic Policy Institute that summarizes the affects of the recession on children in the United States. The report includes an interactive map.
- Basic Facts about Low-income Children is a series of fact sheets divided by age group that is produced by the National Center for Children in Poverty. Each report provides information about contributing factors and effects of poverty.
- This Child Poverty and Family Income graph and accompanying information shows some important indicators for determining child poverty. The report is produced by ChildStats.gov.
Helpful Resources
- First Focus is an advocacy organization that seeks to influence government decisions regarding children and families. The website provides a variety of resources regarding the welfare of children in the United States, as well as local, state, and federal policies regarding children and families.
- US Department of Health and Human Services, Poverty Guidelines, Research and Measurement provides information about the standards by which poverty is measured. Reports, guidelines, and charts are available on this site.
- The Basic Needs Budget Calculator, produced by the National Center for Children in Poverty, calculates how much it will cost to raise a family in a specific area. You can enter your work situation, family size and age of children to determine how much it will cost to meet your family’s basic needs.
- US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families provides resources and information for assistance including childcare, child support, Head Start, and other programs.
- National Center for Children and Families provides the latest research and policy information to increase the well-being of children and families.