Verified Document

Children And Poverty Chapter

Poverty and Homelessness in Children Poverty is the deficiency in the amount of money or material possessions considered to be acceptable for individuals in a particular country. Among families who are homeless with children 42% of homeless children are under the age of six years old. The majority of homeless families with children cited poverty as the third most common reason for their being homeless. A child is born into poverty every 33 seconds in the United States.

Key professional and community organizations addressing this issue/population: There are several organizations addressing this issue including the U.S. Department of Agriculture with programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Program, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) seeking to provide affordable housing to everyone, the Children's Defense Fund, Voices for America's Children, the National Urban League, and the National Coalition for the Homeless. Local and community-based organizations such as The Salvation Army, The YWCA, Soup Kitchens, and Homeless Shelters also offer assistance.

3. Common assumptions / beliefs: The most common assumptions regarding homelessness and poverty are that people living at the poverty level or below are commonly assumed to be less industrious, less intelligent, less skilled, or less talented than individuals above the poverty level.

4. Facts: According to the National Poverty Center income designations defining poverty rates for single and married parents are:

Single Parent

One child

$15,030

Two children

$17,568

Two Adults

One child

$17,552

Two children

$22,113

Three children

$26,023

In 2010, 15.1% of people lived in poverty. Children are disproportionately represented within the poverty guidelines. Children in the United...

Studies indicate that children who are living at the poverty level or below and/or homeless are less prepared to attend school, overall have lower educational achievements than other children, and have higher rates of poverty, health risks, mental health issues, and substance abuse as adults.
5. Implications for understanding influences and relationships: Research has determined that there is a direct relationship between early childhood intervention and positive outcomes for children born in poverty/homelessness. Decreasing risk factors in the child's environment leads to an increase in the child's potential for normal development and educational attainment. One factor that has been shown to have the greatest influence on reversing the impact of poverty and children is the relationship between the parent and the child.

6. Strategies for building reciprocal relationships: Intervention programs and preventative programs offered to the public that target health concerns such as immunization programs, prenatal care programs, etc. are associated with positive health outcomes for children who are born into poverty and homelessness. Moreover, these programs lead to increased cognitive development and educational attainment in these children.

Getting parents involved both inside and outside of the school environment can strongly influence the child's development. Since the parent/child relationship is important in mediating effects of poverty, parental characteristics such as being predictable, socially responsible, offering positive role modeling, engaging in frequent and positive verbal interactions, and giving mutual attention have been shown to have positive effects on the development of children, even children who were born at or below the poverty level and/or are homeless. Parents who…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Child Poverty and Its Effects on Education and Development
Words: 1864 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Child Poverty and Its Effects on Education and Development Beyond problems of financial inequality that occur when countless young children reside in poor as well as persistently inadequate households, poor children can easily perpetuate the never-ending cycle when they achieve adulthood. Prior study implies that children who're born poor as well as are constantly poor are considerably much more most likely to remain poor as grownups, quit school, give teenage premarital

Child Poverty in Arizona Ironically,
Words: 1797 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

Children need a congenial environment for their physical, emotional and mental development and that cannot be possible when they are left to reel under poverty. Alleviating childhood poverty should not just be a slogan, but a high priority issue that needs immediate addressal, and this can only be achieved by means of a collaborative effort, with both the state and federal governments and social organizations working together. Bibliography CARSEY, "Child Poverty

Child Poverty in the United
Words: 647 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

This usually ends up costing them even more money, both in unpaid days off of work and in medical bills, not to mention dramatically reducing the quality of life. Children that grow up in such conditions are also far less likely to finish high school, let alone o to college and get better-paying jobs, thus perpetuating the problem (National Center for Children in Poverty, 2009). The physical and economic

How Child Poverty Effects Crime Rates Amongst Teens and Young Adults...
Words: 3252 Length: 10 Document Type: Capstone Project

Child Poverty Effects Crime Rates How Child Poverty Effects Crime Rates Amongst Teens and Young Adults in Today's Society How Child Poverty Effects Crime Rates How Child Poverty Effects Crime Rates Amongst Teens and Young Adults in Today's Society The entire human race is in the midst of a breathtaking era that is attributed to numerous advancements and innovations. However, it is very unfortunate to state that this unbelievable industrialized world is full of

Education Building Canada: Child Poverty and Schools
Words: 595 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Education Building Canada: Child Poverty and Schools This article is written by the Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF), an organization of over 200,000 teachers in and around Canada. One of the primary initiatives of the CTF is to reduce the ongoing issue of child poverty. In 2008, the Campaign 2000's report card indicated that child poverty rates in Canada are as high as they were recorded in 1989. This staggering statistic

Poverty and Children in the U.S. Poverty
Words: 2090 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

Poverty and Children in the U.S. Poverty Stricken Children in the United States of America It is unfortunate to state that sociological ills have preserved their place in almost every society, civilization and empire. Be it slavery, illiteracy, disease or poverty; one vice or the other has invaded communities throughout history and wreaked destruction upon the inhabitants. Despite the revolutions in the information technology and communication sector, countries are still experiencing a

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now