Child Poverty Flashcards
How does child poverty in the US compare to other nations?
The US has one of the worst childhood poverty rates of any developed nation
What might explain the difference between US and other nations when it comes to childhood poverty?
- comparatively high birth rate in the US
- resources in each country are different
- relative lack of welfare/assistance programs in the US
- could also be due to countries measuring poverty differently
According to the video “Wasting America’s Future,” what negative outcomes are associated with childhood poverty?
- poor children who test well are less likely to go to college (even compared to wealthier kids who test poorly)
- lack of social mobility (likely to stay poor)
- high infant mortality, low birth weight (compared to other socioeconomic groups)
What is the motel generation?
Homeless families living in cheap motels because they cannot afford rent or a mortgage; count as homeless since it is only temporary shelter
Are the motel generation problems going away?
NO- record # of children in poverty, situation is going to get worse before it gets better
What are some negative outcomes children of the motel generation may experience?
- may go to bed hungry
- may drop out of school to help earn money for their family
- family may have to choose between electricity and food
- (there are others, this is all I had notes for)
What are the six pathways of poverty?
Health and nutrition
Quality of the home environment
Parental stress and mental health
Fewer resources for learning
Housing problems
Poor quality neighborhood
(Seccombe. Pg 65)
How is feminization of poverty linked to child poverty?
rise in single mothers who are poor, this means more children will be poor as well
poor job opportunities and lower wages for women
high divorce rate leaves 85% of children from divorced families living with their mother
high teen pregnancy rate perpetuates poor living conditions for the teen mother and her children
What is the pauperization of motherhood?
trend that the highest risk of poverty results from being a woman and having children; particularly true for African-American and Hispanic women
What are some things that could lead to feminzation of poverty/ childhood poverty & pauperization of motherhood?
- poor job opportunities for women/ glass ceiling
- FMLA could have untended consequence of employers not hiring women
- divorce often results in moms having custody, they may not get money owed to them for child support
- rise in # of single mothers
What are some child outcomes of poverty?
Physical- low birth weight, lead paint poisoning, food insecurity and hunger, access to health care
Mental - depression, social withdrawal, low self-esteem, aggression
Academic- lower grades, lower test scores, learning disabilities, higher dropout rates, lower college enrollment rates, teenage pregnancy
(*be sure to think are these driven by biology or sociology or both)
What are some things that could be done to end child poverty?
increase awareness of tax benefits (earned income tax credit)
more funding for child welfare programs
improved resources at low performing schools
offer paid parental leave
expand paid parental leave to small businesses
