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Children and Poverty

Children and Poverty. Family Sociology. Thinking about Poverty. What percentage of the population is poor? What percentage of children are poor? What are poor children’s lives like?. Terminology. Poverty: Income below the federal poverty level (FPL)

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Children and Poverty

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  1. Children and Poverty Family Sociology

  2. Thinking about Poverty • What percentage of the population is poor? • What percentage of children are poor? • What are poor children’s lives like?

  3. Terminology • Poverty: Income below the federal poverty level (FPL) • $$22,050 per year for a family of four • Low-income: Income below 200 percent of the 2005 federal poverty level (FPL) • $39, 612 per year for a family of four Source: http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/eco1.asp

  4. Child Poverty • How many children live in poverty? • Children represent a disproportionate share of the poor in the United States • They are 25 percent of the total population, but 35 percent of the poor population. • In 2008, 15.45 million children, or 20.7 percent, were poor.

  5. Child Poverty in the U.S. • There are approximately 70 million children in the United States. • 38%—almost 27 million—live in low-income families. • 17.8%—13 million— live in poor families.

  6. 2008 Child Poverty Rate • http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/acrossstates/Map.aspx?loct=2&ind=43&dtm=322&tf=35

  7. Child Poverty varies by race and ethnicity • The poverty rate for children also varies substantially by race and Hispanic origin, as shown in the table below • Children Under 18 Living in Poverty, 2008 • All children under 18 • 15, 451,000 or 20.7 % • White only, non-Hispanic 4, 850,000 or 11.9% • Black: 4,480,000 or 35.4 % • Hispanic: 5,610,00 or 33.1 % • Asian: 531,000 or 13.3 %

  8. Child Poverty and Race/Ethnicity • Latino/a and African American children are disproportionately low income. • Whites comprise the largest group of low-income children.

  9. Effects of Poverty on Children • Health • Mortality • Low birth weight • Health problems • Abuse • Educational Outcomes • High drop out rate • Underfunded schools

  10. Kidscount website • What are poverty rates for Children in New Jersey?http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/bystate/Default.aspx

  11. There Are No Children Here • The Henry Horner Homes were not always bad • In the 1960s there were groups like girl scouts who met regularly • And the crime rate was lower • But during the 1970s and 1980s drug and gang activity increased

  12. There Are No Children Here • The local Chicago government officials and the Chicago Housing Authority never wanted the Henry Horner Homes to be built in the first place • The buildings were not well funded and were not well built • So they never put much money into them, even from the beginning • Later, in the 1980s, findings of a housing authority tour of the facilities revealing appalling conditions and history of neglect of Chicago’s public housing

  13. There Are No Children Here • In Philadelphia, and Newark -- high-rise public housing is being replaced by: • two-story, low density townhouses • Section 8 vouchers • Strategies to increase home ownership: • targeted at low to moderate income who can afford to pay a mortgage, but cannot get together enough $$ for a down payment & closing costs

  14. Summary • For a rich nation, the U.S. has high rates of child poverty • Children are more likely to be in poverty than adults • Child poverty varies by race and ethnicity

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