13 million American children live in poverty

13 million American children live in poverty’s grip. The U.S. has the worst child poverty rate among 24 rich countries. Over the last 45 years, U.S. policies produced spectacular drops in elderly poverty rates; now the elderly are the least poor. During the same period, child poverty remained constant. One reason: Federal spending in 2007 was nearly seven times greater for persons over age 65 than under age 18 — $27,289 per person versus $4,000 per person, respectively. 

Eight million American children are without health insurance. Over a two-year period, nearly 27 million children will have no coverage for at least some period of time. 

More than three million children are reported abused and neglected. About 1,500 U.S. children die each year as a result of abuse or neglect at home, with nearly 80 percent of the fatalities involving infants and toddlers under the age of four.  more 

Only half of eligible three- and four-year-olds are served by Head Start, the government’s early childhood development program. Early Head Start, for infants and toddlers under three, serves only one in 20 of those eligible. 

Nearly two million children have parents in prison. 

As many as 14 million children are on their own after school. Among them are an estimated 40,000 kindergarteners. 

Study: Poverty dramatically affects children's brains

A new study finds that certain brain functions of some low-income 9- and 10-year-olds pale in comparison with those of wealthy children and that the difference is almost equivalent to the damage from a stroke.

"It is a similar pattern to what's seen in patients with strokes that have led to lesions in their prefrontal cortex," which controls higher-order thinking and problem solving, says lead researcher Mark Kishiyama, a cognitive psychologist at the University of California-Berkeley. "It suggests that in these kids, prefrontal function is reduced or disrupted in some way."  more

Campaign to End Child Poverty March in London

• News
• Society
• Children

Hundreds demand an end to child poverty

• Caroline Davies
• The Observer, 
• Sunday October 5 2008
• Article history

Hundreds marched through central London yesterday calling on the government to end child poverty.

The 'Keep the Promise' march, was organised by the Campaign to End Child Poverty, a coalition of 120 organisations, and included many children who gathered at Millbank before marching to Trafalgar Square for a rally.

Before the march, representatives from the group met Gordon Brown at Downing Street. After the meeting he repeated a pledge to impose a legal duty on government to eradicate child poverty by 2020.

The coalition's report last week said more than one third of UK children live in low-income families or in poverty. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who attended the rally, said that was 'shameful'. The campaign defines poverty as when a family has £10 per person per day or less to live on.  read 

Campaign to End Child Poverty March in London

• News
• Society
• Children

Hundreds demand an end to child poverty

• Caroline Davies
• The Observer, 
• Sunday October 5 2008
• Article history

Hundreds marched through central London yesterday calling on the government to end child poverty.

The 'Keep the Promise' march, was organised by the Campaign to End Child Poverty, a coalition of 120 organisations, and included many children who gathered at Millbank before marching to Trafalgar Square for a rally.

Before the march, representatives from the group met Gordon Brown at Downing Street. After the meeting he repeated a pledge to impose a legal duty on government to eradicate child poverty by 2020.

The coalition's report last week said more than one third of UK children live in low-income families or in poverty. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who attended the rally, said that was 'shameful'. The campaign defines poverty as when a family has £10 per person per day or less to live on.  read