This final capstone report seeks to investigate the effect of poverty on children ’ s development from infancy to elementary years and finally adulthood. Apart from devising measures to fight and alleviate poverty status, this capstone report will fundamentally form a substantive material and act as a crucial resource to be used by the young children ’ s and infant ’ s caregivers and early childhood educators. As the say goes, knowledge is power and when one has knowledge; he/she will be able to find solutions to the unending life cycle of poverty in the society.
Comparatively, it is notable that in this century and the age of globalization infants and people under the age of majority (18years) are the most affected by the effects of poverty. A variety of constant problems accompanies poverty. Scientifically, researchers and scholars have indicated that a child born in a low-income family or an infant exposed to pangs of poverty has the most likelihood of suffering from brain impairment development conditions (Bornstein and Bradley, 2014). Interestingly, these are not only the problems of brain development that are prone. It is noteworthy that poverty-related complications also contribute and negatively affect child's cognitive abilities in addition to social and emotional functionalities. Illustratively, the effects mentioned above are primarily caused by malnutrition/inadequate nutrition which is majorly associated with poverty.
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Related to the above poverty has significantly contributed to other more severe problems such as adverse health effects in young children. It is notable that children living in abject poverty or children born in low-income families exhibit chronic health issues. This includes respiratory conditions, mental problems, social challenges which may result in depression, w hich consequentially graduate to more riskier issues as the children grow up to adulthood. In the same breath, poverty implies that children will not have access to good education, health or social services. When children miss these fundamental needs at the crucial stage of elementary development, their adulthood is extensively limited and affected. Poverty affects children’s development towards adulthood. It is evident that it broadly affects their behavior on how they relate and interact in the society (Bornstein and Bradley, 2014). Similarly, poverty affects a child ’ s performance in school. When this cycle persists, there is high likelihood that such a child will end up scoring poorly in his/her education grades. When this occurs, there is also the likelihood that the child may not easily secure well-paying jobs and as a result the poverty cycle may not be easily broken.
Statement of Issues
Stemming from above, it is notable that that poverty prevalence negatively impacts a child ’ s development. Therefore, this being the case, there is a necessity to identify the measures to curb and combat challenges of poverty. Firstly, as this capstone project attempts to determine the negative effects of poverty on children development, it will also devise solutions and measures to alleviate the abject poverty conditions. Secondly, this project will significantly focus on exploring the aspects of the early development of children in the elementary years and how this development may be affected by paucity or poverty. Extensively, the focus will also be shifted on the impacts and roles played by poverty to infants through childhood and in adolescents stage. In the same breath, the project will also explore how children raised in abject poverty attempt to maneuver their later/future life and how they may be assisted. Summarily, it will also examine how the effects of poverty may impact a child ’ s later life if the same is not addressed.
Considerably, in finding solutions and devising measures to address the challenges and effects of poverty among children; this report will also identify the effective measures. Illustratively, this will intend to form a study guide for parents and essentially a core resource for caregivers and early childhood educators in alleviating poverty. Similarly, the focus will be on exploring how the statistics will be utilized and applied to fight poverty effects on the development of children in society.
Literature Review
Fundamentally, child development has extensively been impacted by the effects and challenges related to poverty. Child caregivers and early adulthood educators have noted with concern that to a greater extent, children ’ s development is negatively affected and therefore calling for measures to help alleviate this situation. Children International, a renowned world ’ s organization that majorly deals with reducing the conditions of children living in poverty, conducted research on children living in abject poverty (Heffron, 2016). This research indicated that poverty interferes or compromises a child ’ s development processes. According to Heffron, motor coordination development in children is a process that has to be nurtured as it does not occur automatically. This development is achieved through outdoor playing and space. However, it is notable that poverty limits the accessibility of playing activities, playing area such as playgrounds. Considerably, it is notable that poverty forces families to live in congested houses that tend to be affordable. Illustratively, it is also evident that such places cannot have enough space or facilities that are needed to encourage motor skills development.
Significantly, is also common knowledge that children living in or born in abject poverty have higher chances of being raised in poor quality conditions. Generally poor conditions are associated with poor health conditions; similarly, it is also related to limited recreational facilities and activities. Scientifically, research has indicated that children primarily need recreational facilities and opportunities for their growth both physically and psychologically (Heffron, 2016). The recreational facilities also offer children the opportunity to socialize, interact and develop socially and emotionally as Heffron indicates. However, it is sad that poverty hampers these opportunities. In the same breath, Heffron indicates that when parents are well-informed, caregivers and adult educators are crucial in combating effects of poverty.
Further research indicated that majority of children worldwide regardless of the country are living in poverty (Rokosa, 2011). Jennifer Rakosa in her write up on ‘ Fighting the war on poverty with early childhood education ’ posits that majority of American children are affected by poverty. Statistics indicate that in the year 2010, statistics indicated that at least one in a group of more than five children suffers from the impacts of poverty. Primarily, it is evident that children languishing in poverty have exhibited traits of performing poor academic wise. In the same breath, such children are likely to repeat their classes/grade. Considerably, this is majorly caused by the impacts of poverty during the early development stages. Similarly, Rakosa also indicates that children in poverty condition have limited access to education opportunities and developmental facilities. These resources are crucial in ensuring a child normally develops like any other child.
Related to the above, it is evident that poverty does not only deny children opportunities ’ to access developmental activities. It is also clear that basically, some households cannot afford to buy an elementary book for young kids. Basic skills for young children are acquired at a young age; this is through the daily activities that a child engages in such as education programs. Recommendable, Rakosa also notes that education programs offer significant roles in alleviating poverty. Education programs offer children an opportunity to develop and grow; majorly, it also transitions up to the child ’ s adulthood thereby help break the unending poverty cycle.
On the other hand, institutions conducting research on children matters have indicated that poverty impacts children. However, it does not affect all children equally. Poverty impacts are mostly felt in early childhood. This is the stage that a child ’ s psychological, physical and to a greater extent the social and emotional growth and development. However, this process is hampered and primarily influenced by the aspects of poverty. The Center for the Study of Social Policy indicates that cumulatively, poverty affects the development of children in various ways. Firstly, it affects developmental learning and academics. It is notable that children under poverty lack or have limited ability to develop learning skills neither. In the same breath, poverty significantly impacts a child ’ s health. It is also evident that poor families have the likelihood of having premature children. Further, the center through its research has indicated that children living or raised in poverty have higher chances of developing health complications such cardiovascular diseases, asthma among other diseases.
Engle and Black (2008) in their work on ‘T he Effect of Poverty on Child Development and Educational Outcomes ’ writes that poverty affects children ’ s development. Their research indicates that there is a linkage between academic performance and poverty. The two are related, notably, if the effects of poverty impact a child ’ s growth, the same will be felt to adulthood if not addressed at the initial stage. According to Engle and Black, children living in abject poverty are in a situation of double tragedy. This is the case because extensively, poverty compromises development processes in children and in the same breath, it interferes with the adjustment to social, psychological and adjustment to development by a child (Engle and Black, 2008). The two authors also indicate that education and academic growth fundamentally helps alleviate that challenges caused by poverty cycle.
Related to the above, Cynthia Lamy (2013) in her work ‘ How Preschool Fights Poverty ’ notes that there is a greater disparity between children who come from well-endowed family and those who come from low-income families. Important to note is that in terms of learning and scoring academically, children from low-income families score significantly below average. This is a clear indicator that poverty basically compromises and influences the development of children physically and mentally. Considerably, research has also indicated that preschool education helps reduce poverty cycle. Majorly, the preschool offered by caregivers and educators plays a significant role in alleviating the poverty disparity between rich children and children in abject poverty. Comparatively, it is also clear that the preschool has a myriad of benefits. This is both for families, children and to the school itself in relation to alleviating poverty and its impacts (Lamy, 2013). One of the benefits to the children is that it offers an opportunity and platform to sharpen skills and developmental tasks.
In conclusion, it is realizable that socio-economic status affects the development of a child especially in terms of education aspects. Children who are raised in a well-placed social economic or rich family exhibit a better cognitive sharp developed mental aspect. In the same breath, children who are raised in the low-income family in abject poverty have a challenge especially when they join the school. Notably, it is not evident that educators and caregivers give school and early adulthood education programs. According to Entwisle (2018), school programs present a platform for children to develop like any other child. They also present an opportunity for a child to develop career-wise thereby help alleviate and combat poverty and the poverty cycle.
Analysis and Discussions
Significantly, in collating data and information for this final capstone report, major focus and concentration shifted towards collecting and reviewing secondary data from scholarly articles and journals available both in library and on web. Extensively, there was the need to hit the ground and engage the local school's social workers in gathering more information related to children background, character and performance in school. In the same breath, face-to-face interviews were contacted, and in some cases, telephone conversation was engaged to collect more information. When all these processes were completed, a comparison and thorough analysis of the two sets of information and data were conducted to come up with the final credible report. Important to note, information was also gathered from the local Head Start, intermediate schools principal and also conducted one of the local child care centers for further data. Fundamentally, the rationale of engagement was to discuss the effects of poverty on the development processes on children from infancy to adulthood and also ways and measures on how to combat poverty and its impact.
Illustratively, the interaction with the local social worker, the school principal and the local child care center was essential because this are the individuals, organization or institutions that deal with children from infancy to early childhood. Significantly, the local social worker and the caregivers understand the child ’ s needs in terms of development necessities. Similarly, social workers within the locality understand the poverty rates. On the other hand, the educators and the school principal have observable statistics on children in terms of developmental aspects. Engaging the local child care centers was essential to the belief that these organizations have the basic data on factors that affect the development of children (Rokosa, 2011). In the same breath, these organizations have conducted enough research, and their mission and vision revolve around finding solutions and measure to fight and combat the effects and impacts of poverty on children.
Discussion of Findings
Analysis of the collected data and research indicate that poverty is an undesirable vice. It causes disastrous harm to children and society especially on the development aspects of young children. It is evident that children in poverty-stricken families are unhappy, feel insecure/hopeless, are bullied, excluded and have psychological challenges interacting with other children. Findings also indicate that poverty affects the health conditions of children. In these circumstances, they tend to suffer chronic sickness due to limited access to medical and health services caused by financial constraints. Similarly, in terms of education as earlier mentioned above, it is notable that children in low-income families primarily lag behind in terms of education and learning (Bornstein and Bradley, 2014). Some perform poorly in school grading, and others are slow in learning basics as compared to other children from well to do families.
Findings also indicate that millions of children are living in abject poverty. The existence of the cycle if not addressed tends to affect a child from infancy to adolescence and adulthood. Significantly, it is notable that the impact of poverty on children has those lasting consequences if not addressed timely. It is discoverable that when a child comes from a poor background, there are higher chances of the cycle repeating itself and the child ends up as a poor adult. Considerably, poor children indicate and exhibit traits of being anti-social and have a challenge interacting with their colleagues (Entwisle, 2018). Primarily, it is also realizable that there is an urgent need to find lasting solutions or measures to address the impacts and poverty challenges.
In the same breath, findings indicate that various factors primarily cause the socio-economic disparities. This includes inherited cycle of poverty, failure to secure meaning employment and the ever-increasing cost of living among others. Alternatively, it is notable that primary and early childhood education crucially helps and lays a foundation for fighting and combating the impacts of poverty among the children from the early years. Interestingly, it is discoverable that families are living in abject poverty because they lack knowledge on how to combat or alleviate their poverty situations.
Conclusion and Recommendations
In conclusion, it is evident that the psychological, physical and mental development is a crucial stage that children undergo before becoming normal adults. In the same breath, poverty has become part of the society. It is a repetitive cycle. Similarly, it is also worth noting that poverty challenges and impacts fundamentally alter, influence and extensively compromise the developmental process of children and the society in general. These impacts widely affect aspects of education and health among others. In the same line, several measures have been put in place to address these challenges such as education, which helps break the poverty cycle. However, it is also notable that these measures are not always effective.
As a recommendation, countries need extensive investment in the education sector to be able to combat the impacts of poverty on children. Early childhood and elementary education lays down the foundation of breaking the poverty cycle and should therefore be supported. There should be proper and quality preschool programs, policies and strategies. Secondly, government and relevant stakeholders should put in place policies and legislation that foster and promote education, child development, and poverty alleviation. These measures are achievable by providing proper affordable resources and creating a conducive socio-economic environment which helps to alleviate poverty. The government and planning sectors should focus on providing opportunities and facilities that are necessary to ensure children engage in activities that help them develop normally.
References
Bornstein, M. H., & Bradley, R. H. (Eds.). (2014). Socioeconomic status, parenting, and child development . Routledge.
Center for the Study of Social Policy. (n.d.) Poverty in early childhood . Retrieved from https://www.cssp.org/policy/2016/Poverty-in-Early-Childhood-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Entwisle, D. R. (2018). Children, schools, and inequality . Routledge.
Engle, P. & Black, M. (2008). The effect of poverty on child development and educational outcomes. Retrieved from https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1196/annals.1425.023.
Heffron, C. (2016). Effects of poverty on child development . Retrieved from https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/effects-poverty-child-development/.
Rokosa, J. (2011). Fighting the war on poverty with early childhood education . Retrieved from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/poverty/news/2011/10/20/10547/fighting-the-war-on-poverty-with-early-childhood-education/.
Lamy, C. E. (2013). How Preschool Fights Poverty . Educational Leadership, 70 (8)
