Poverty

What is poverty
• Poverty is a multifaceted concept, which may include social,
economic, and political elements. Absolute poverty,
extreme poverty, or destitution refers to the complete lack of the
means necessary to meet basic personal needs such as food, clothing
and shelter
 Statistics
• As of 2016, more than 40 million people live below the poverty line in the
United States. Of those, 13.3 million were children (1)
• 1 kid in 5 lives in poverty compared to 1 in 8 adults.
• Almost 40% of American kids spend at least 1 year in poverty before they
turn 18.
• Between 2012 and 2014, federal spending fell for kids’ education, nutrition,
social services and early education and care. The government spends just
10% of the national budget on kids — a fraction of what other developed
countries spend
• The childhood poverty rate is actually much higher in the U.S. than in other
developed countries
• About 15.2 percent of all people in La Crosse County were below the
federal poverty level last year. (4)
 The Effects of Poverty
• Poor kids are more likely to experience hunger. And food insecurity has a lifelong effect: lower
reading and math scores, more physical and mental health problems, more emotional and
behavioral problems and a greater chance of obesity.
• Poorer children and teens are also at greater risk for several negative outcomes such as poor
academic achievement, school dropout, abuse and neglect, behavioral and socioemotional
problems, physical health problems, and developmental delays.
• Poverty has a particularly adverse effect on the academic outcomes of children, especially during
early childhood.
• Chronic stress associated with living in poverty has been shown to adversely affect children’s
concentration and memory which may impact their ability to learn.
• The National Center for Education Statistics reports that in 2008, the dropout rate of students
living in low-income families was about four and one-half times greater than the rate of children
from higher-income families (8.7 percent versus 2.0 percent).
• The academic achievement gap for poorer youth is particularly pronounced for low-income
African American and Hispanic children compared with their more affluent White peers.
• Under resourced schools in poorer communities struggle to meet the learning needs of their
students and aid them in fulfilling their potential.
• Inadequate education contributes to the cycle of poverty by making it more difficult for low-
income children to lift themselves and future generations out of poverty
 Fighting against Poverty
• Food Pantries: For many, locating a food pantry in which to receive
aid is the hardest part when trying to support a struggling family.
Food Pantries makes it easy to locate different resources across the
country.
• The hunger Project: The Hunger Project is a global organization
working to end hunger issues across the world “by empowering
people to lead lives of self-reliance, meet their own basic needs and
build better futures for their children.” They do not distribute food,
but work with rural and low income populations to help teach life
skills and other sustaining behaviors to help overcome underlying
hunger issues. (3)
 Fighting Poverty Cont.
• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) offers supplemental nutrition and
other services to low-income pregnant women, mothers, and children
under age five. (2)
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the
Food Stamp Program, helps low-income families purchase food. (2)
• National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program
(SBP) offer free and reduced-price meals to eligible school children.
(2)
 Sources Cited
1. https://poverty.umich.edu/about/poverty-facts/
2. http://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty.aspx
3. http://www.thp.org/
4. http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/census-la-crosse-county-
income-poverty-rose-in/article_85c2a5ab-3bc3-57be-be67-
fb05b6896d66.html