It is estimated that up to 15 million children – representing 21% of the total child population in the United States – live in poverty. Child poverty is described as a status where children are born into or live in families having incomes lower than the federal poverty threshold. Even so, the federal poverty threshold has been said to underestimate the needs of families grossly. Data that is more accurate suggests that a family requires up to twice the amount to meet just their basic needs. If such a standard were used, over 30 million children in the United States (43%) would thus be said to be living in poverty (NCCP, 2017). This paper is an argumentative essay regarding the issues of child poverty in the country.
Children are not earning members of society. As a result, it is necessary that support systems be put in place to ensure that their survival is key. According to research, child poverty is the greatest challenge to the well-being of children (NCCP, 2017). In the developed world, the United States is among countries leading the pack in terms of child poverty levels (Children International, 2015). Therefore, taxpayer input into the alleviation of this situation is critical. Education, as one of the drivers of economic change within a society, is an important tool for the alleviation of poverty for the long-term. This service is provided by taxpayer money. Moreover, other child-critical services such as nutrition, early childhood care and social services are all services financed by taxpayer money through the federal government. As a result, the key input of the taxpayer toward children’s economic empowerment becomes apparent, with critical child services being hinged on their contributions.
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That being said, federal resources aimed at these services have since been reduced in the face of increased child poverty. The federal government spends ten percent of its allocations to child services – a fraction of what similarly developed countries spend (NCCP, 2017). As a result, children in the United States are more exposed to the effects of childhood poverty including hunger (Hair, Hanson, Wolfe, & Pollak, 2015). Ripple effects occur because of this to include low reading and math scores, physical and mental health challenges, behavioral and emotional problems as well as the risk of obesity in future (Hair, Hanson, Wolfe, & Pollak, 2015). Moreover, research shows that children who are victims of childhood poverty are more likely to be incarcerated or have a baby in their teens compared to those who have not experienced poverty. Additionally, such students are also up to seven times likely to drop out of school compared to their able counterparts (Children International, 2015).
This being the case, childhood empowerment must be taken seriously within the United States. Decreased spending should be accompanied by increased transparency and effectiveness if the child poverty levels are going to be alleviated. While some might argue that it is not possible to eradicate poverty due to its trans-generational effect, it is necessary to work at efforts aimed at reducing the overall amount of children in poverty. It is possible for poverty to affect anyone; nevertheless, conscious efforts must be made in ensuring that the children are protected from its grip.
In conclusion, it is necessary for the country to do some soul-searching. One in five children experience poverty, compared to the adult number of one in eight. These are worrying numbers, considering that the larger portion of posterity is open to the adverse effects of poverty well into their formative stages of development. Where sufficient investment is not placed on the future generations, of necessity the government requires to put in place mechanisms that will protect children from poor developmental environments.
References
Children International. (2015). Child poverty in the U.S.: facts & stats ABOUT CHILD POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES . Retrieved November 6, 2017, from Children Internaional: https://www.children.org/global-poverty/global-poverty-facts/facts-about-poverty-in-usa
Hair, N. L., Hanson, J. L., Wolfe, B. L., & Pollak, S. D. (2015). Association of child poverty, brain development, and academic achievement. JAMA pediatrics, 169(9) , 822-829.
NCCP. (2017). Child Poverty . Retrieved November 6, 2017, from National Center for Children in Poverty: http://www.nccp.org/topics/childpoverty.html .
