Child poverty remains high in the U.S., with nearly 1 in 5 children living in households below the poverty line.
Children experience poverty at a rate that is 62 percent higher than adults. Poverty is a particularly serious problem for children, who suffer negative effects for the rest of their lives after living in poverty for even a short time.
The U.S. Child Poverty Action Group, a coalition of child-focused organizations dedicated to reducing child poverty in the U.S., remains very concerned by 2018 proposals, including an executive order to weaken public assistance programs by imposing cuts, employment documentation requirements, irrational time limits, and other unnecessary government bureaucratic barriers.
Counter to the proposed harmful initiatives that would increase child poverty, members of the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group drafted Our Kids, Our Future: Solutions to Child Poverty in the U.S., a compendium of more than 20 papers that provide recommendations to significantly reduce child poverty and improve child well-being.
In addition to the full version, this compendium has been split into their individual essays for your convenience.
FOREWORD
Cara Baldari, First Focus
CREATING THE POLITICAL WILL TO REDUCE CHILD POVERTY
Cara Baldari, First Focus
A CHILD ALLOWANCE: THE BIG ANTIPOVERTY IMPACTS OF SMALL AMOUNTS OF CASH
Andrew Stettner, The Century Foundation
HELPING WORKING FAMILIES BUILD WEALTH AT TAX TIME
Joanna Ain, Chad Bolt, and David Newville, Prosperity Now
CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY NEED TANF REFORM
Kelsie Landers and Andrew Hammond, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
A CHILD FOCUSED APPROACH TO TANF REFORM
John Sciamanna, Child Welfare League of America
SAFETY NET IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN HELP KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER
Megan Martin and Shadi Houshyar, Center for the Study of Social Policy
ADDRESSING HOUSING INSTABILITY FOR FAMILIES IN THE UNITED STATES: NOT JUST AN ISSUE OF AFFORDABILITY
Cara Baldari, First Focus
CHILD AND YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES REQUIRES A HOLISTIC SOLUTION
Cara Baldari, First Focus
RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN SNAP AND WIC
Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign
RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS TO END CHILDHOOD HUNGER
Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign
REDUCING POVERTY FOR CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS
Kristen Torres, First Focus
The Promise of Preventing Poverty’s Adverse Effects on Child Development
Diana H. Fishbein, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, and Program for Translational Research on Adversity and Neurodevelopment, The Pennsylvania State University, and National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives
Ron Prinz, PhD, Parenting & Family Research Center (Department of Psychology), University of South Carolina and National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives
SUPPORTING AMERICA’S LOW-INCOME WORKING FAMILIES THROUGH UNIVERSAL PAID FAMILY LEAVE
Renée Wilson-Simmons, Suma Setty, and Tiffany Thomas Smith, National Center for Children in Poverty
POOR WOMEN = POOR CHILDREN
Wendy Pollack, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
COLLECTIVE PROSPERITY: TO SUPPORT CHILDREN, INVEST IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS
Lauren Hogan and Lucy Recio, National Association for the Education of Young Children
THE POLITICAL VOICE FOR KIDS
Mark Shriver, Save the Children Action Network
COUNTIES CARE: COUNTY SERVICE SHARING FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
Jonathan Harris, Andrew Hartsig and Emilia Istrate, National Association of Counties
HELPING NEW YORKERS SAVE FOR COLLEGE TO ULTIMATELY ESCAPE POVERTY
Stephanie Gendell, Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York
MAKING EDUCATION WORK FOR THE POOR: THE POTENTIAL OF CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
William Elliott, Melinda Lewis and Elizabeth Burland, Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion, University of Michigan School of Social Work
WHEN POVERTY COMES TO SCHOOL
American Federation of Teachers
OPIOIDS, POVERTY, AND THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM
Rricha Mathur and Kristen Torres, First Focus
INSURING OUR NATION’S CHILDREN IS KEY TO FIGHTING POVERTY
Andrea Kovach and Kate Maley, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
MEETING THE NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTHCARE NEEDS
Morna Murray, First Focus
WHAT TO DO TO IMPROVE CHILDREN’S PUBLIC HEALTH COVERAGE
Carrie Fitzgerald, First Focus
