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Center for Poverty and Inequality Research

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What Is Poverty? Definition and Measurement - Center for Poverty and Inequality Research

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The official poverty rate is 11.6 percent, based on the U.S. Census Bureau's estimates for 2021. That year, an estimated 37.9 million Americans lived in poverty according to the official measure. Neither the rate nor the number differed significantly from 2020. According to the supplemental poverty measure, the poverty rate was 7.8 percent.

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A boy holds his little brother's hand after picking him up at the bus stop in Biddeford, Maine, April 2020. (Getty/Gregory Rec)

For more on this topic, see "The Basic Facts About Women in Poverty"

Introduction and summary

In America, nearly 11 million children are poor. That's 1 in 7 kids, who make up almost one-third of all people living in poverty in this country. This number should be unimaginable in one of the world's wealthiest countries, and yet child poverty has remained stubbornly high for decades Across the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which is made up of 37 countries including Denmark, New Zealand, Spain, and the United Kingdom, the United States is consistently ranked as one of the worst in child poverty rates.

As the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession continue to devastate the United States, children are facing the consequences of failed leadership. Since April 2020, the share of children with at least one unemployed parent has consistently remained above reported rates during the peak of the Great Recession. More than 4 in 10 children live in a household struggling to meet basic expenses, and between 7 million and 11 million children live in households in which they are unable to eat enough because of the cost. When the pandemic forced schools to shift to distanced and virtual learning, it worsened the barriers to quality education for low-income children and pushed their parents, particularly mothers, to choose between caregiving and employment. Without serious interventions, an economic recovery will leave low-income and marginalized people-and their children-behind. Already, some calculations are finding that the child poverty rate has increased dramatically since the onset of the coronavirus crisis.

In America, nearly 11 million children are poor. That's 1 in 7 kids, who make up almost one-third of all people living in poverty in this country.

Child poverty is solvable. Some recommendations set forth in this report include:

Securing the right to basic needs for all families with reforms to food assistance, housing supports, and health care programs

Easing financial burdens through strengthened unemployment insurance, permanent paid family and medical leave, higher minimum wages, affordable child care and universal preschool, and better tax credits that cover all low-income families

Prioritizing structural reforms that address generational poverty and historic marginalization with policies that target the racial wealth gap and inequitable school systems

Basic statistics about children in poverty

Measuring poverty

America's child poverty problem is persistent and structural-and in many ways, the official statistics undercount the severity of need across the nation. The official poverty measure, as calculated by the U.S. Census Bureau, has long been criticized as narrow and outdated, in large part because it determines the resources a family needs based on a bare-bones food budget from the 1960s. It does not take into account major expenses such as housing or child care, nor does it account for geographical differences in costs of living.

Because of this recognized failure in capturing the experiences of people facing economic deprivation, another measure, known as the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), was introduced in 2011. That measure counts resources such as nutrition benefits and housing subsidies, along with costs such as taxes and out-of-pocket medical expenses; it also determines a poverty threshold using a more diverse set of necessary expenses-not just food. The SPM isn't perfect either, but it does help show the impact that government programs can have on reducing poverty.

In 2019, 14.4 percent of all children under the age of 18 in the United States were living below the official poverty measure. About 6 percent were living in deep poverty, defined as 50 percent of the federal poverty measure, and almost one-quarter were living in poverty or at risk, defined as 150 percent of the official measure. When using the SPM, which counts noncash benefits from government programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and measures poverty more comprehensively, the child poverty rate in America is 12.5 percent.

Children of color across most racial categories are more likely to experience poverty than their white counterparts. (see Figure 2) Black, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) children have the highest rates of poverty. And while the broader category of Asian American and Pacific Islander children have lower rates of poverty, disaggregated data from past years show that serious disparities based on ethnicity persist with significantly higher rates for Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Burmese, and Hmong children, for example.

Black, Hispanic, and AIAN children are also disproportionately represented among children living in poverty. For example, while around 14 percent of children in the United States are Black, they make up more than one-quarter of children living below the poverty line.

The poverty rate for children also differs by age, with the youngest children most likely to live under the official poverty line. (see Figure 4) Children under the age of 5 have a poverty rate of 15.5 percent, compared with 14.9 percent for children between ages 6 and 11 and 12.9 percent for those between ages 12 and 17. Those differences are due, in part, to the higher expenses associated with younger children, such as child care, and because parents tend to be earning less earlier in their careers, when their children are younger.

Child poverty rates differ greatly depending on their family structure. (see Figure 5) At a rate of 36.4 percent, more than one-third of children living in households headed by an unmarried woman live in poverty, while 6.4 percent of children in married couple households do.

The analysis: Why are so many children poor in the United States?

The causes of child poverty cannot be separated from those of adult poverty. Expenses associated with raising children are one of the many reasons that families fall into poverty, along with job losses and pay cuts, a transition from a two-parent household to a single one, and a family member developing a disability.

Factors that make it difficult for people to meet their basic needs mean their children also grow up with economic instability and deprivation. The United States does not have a comprehensive social safety net to fully shield kids from the emotional, physical, neurological, and generational impacts of such instability.

The following are just some of the reasons why the United States' poverty rate is so high.

America's economic systems are not designed to support all families

Because America's current policies do not guarantee a reasonable standard of living, a child's economic security is deeply intertwined with their caregivers' experience in the labor market. Changes in caregivers' work have largely driven changes to the child poverty rate over the past several decades.

Persistent economic inequality

Stagnant wages

If wages had increased at the same rate as broader economic productivity, more than 4 million fewer children would be in poverty in a full-employment economy.

Labor market discrimination and other economic forces

Since the early 1990s, family structure has played a much lesser role in child poverty rates than some experts claim. And in those decades, the profile of unmarried parents has shifted; parents are now more likely to be fathers raising children alone or cohabiting with a partner than in previous years, and the share of single mothers raising children without a spouse or partner now hovers at around 50 percent, compared with 88 percent in 1968.

Racist and sexist narratives such as the notable myth of the "welfare queen"-a term popularized by President Ronald Reagan to invoke white Americans' racial resentment and tie welfare to an image of undeserving Black women receiving government assistance-permeate rhetoric and perpetuate the lie that poverty is a result of personal and cultural, rather than structural, failings. However, high rates of child poverty in what the census defines as "single, female-headed households" and disproportionate rates of poverty for children of color can be attributed, in large part, to the many manifestations of racism, sexism, ableism, and other discrimination in the labor market.

Occupational segregation and the resulting wage gaps

This occupational segregation, along with other factors of discrimination, also contributes to racial and gender wage gaps. For example, Black men, on average, earned 70 cents for each dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men in 2019; Black women earned 63 cents. Those cents compound over a lifetime, depressing savings and limiting day-to-day expenses to the detriment of those workers' children.

Lack of work-family policies to support caregivers

For caregivers, and especially solo mothers, a lack of paid leave and child care support can force people to cut back on the hours they work, leave the workforce entirely, or sacrifice necessary time with their families in order to pay the bills.

Those disparities are exacerbated by a lack of affordable child care, which is one of the biggest expenses for families today. Without better options, parents must consider working fewer hours, taking a pay cut, or leaving their jobs to ensure their children are cared for. For families in poverty, whose jobs already tend be unstable, inflexible, and inadequately compensated, the decisions surrounding child care can have dire consequences for their family budgets and potential future employment.

Unemployment

Low wages are not the sole factor perpetuating child poverty and making it difficult for families to make ends meet; other labor market factors such as unemployment play an important role as well. Losing a job is one of the leading triggers for falling into poverty. The United States' inadequate safety net for jobless people leaves millions of children vulnerable to the prolonged negative impacts of poverty. And, once again, discrimination and systemic racism built into the labor market means that Black people face persistently higher rates of unemployment than whites, contributing to racial disparities in the poverty rates among their children.

Barriers to employment

Racial and gender wealth gaps

Reaching basic living standards is tied to work

Children do not work and cannot earn their way out of poverty, but they face long-term harm because the right to having their basic needs met is not guaranteed. No child, regardless of their caregivers' experience with the labor market, should experience poverty. Yet the social safety net, in its inadequate and fragmented current form, includes burdensome work requirements, excludes those with no or very little income, and leaves jobless people and their families with few stable options.

Other structural inequities compound harm for children experiencing poverty

Such circumstances exist because economic inequality is inextricably linked to other structural inequities in incarceration, education, housing, health, and more. And those inequities are inextricably linked to America's long history of racism and discrimination, compounding barriers particularly for children of color across the country and severely limiting economic mobility.

These examples of the many structural inequities in U.S. policy underscore the need to understand child poverty as a result of lawmakers' decisions even beyond the narrow definition of the economy.

Recommendations: How to end child poverty in America

While America's disastrous child poverty rate is the result of a complicated structure of economic and social systems, the solutions to the problem are actually quite simple. Policymakers need to make sure every child has access to the basics-food, housing, and health care-and ease the financial burdens that families face when raising children. The millions of children living in poverty right now do not have the luxury of waiting for changes that can take decades to fully realize. Thus the push for more immediate assistance must be paired with a forward-thinking strategy to fix policies that promote inequality, limit economic mobility, and perpetuate marginalization.

These solutions must be available to all children and families; policy barriers based on one's involvement with the criminal justice system, immigration status, ability, and other factors only ensure that attempts to end child poverty will fail.

The following recommendations are just some of the policy solutions that can contribute to ending child poverty in the United States.

Secure the right to basic needs for all families

Strengthen food assistance programs

Programs such as SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are fundamental in ensuring that families can afford to eat. Both programs have been tied to positive outcomes for mothers and infants, and children with access to the programs can experience significant health gains and improved long-term health, educational, and economic outcomes.

Despite the clear advantage of funding and supporting nutrition assistance programs, they have been the target of regulatory attacks and budget cuts. SNAP's current design means that it is efficient-lifting 2.5 million people out of poverty in 2019-and targeted in times of crisis, but its restrictive eligibility requirements and inadequate benefit amounts limit the program's reach. The WIC program provides nutrition assistance and support programs for more than 4.5 million infants and children, but analysis shows that less than half of all eligible children actually participate, in part due to barriers such as transportation and misconceptions about eligibility, as well as stigma around receiving benefits.

To strengthen the program to better meet the needs of all children, Congress must increase SNAP benefits to more reasonably match a household's food budget (and recognize the differing food needs depending on a child's age), eliminate restrictive asset limits, consider expansions to the goods that SNAP benefits can buy, and address barriers to participation. Lawmakers must also ensure that the WIC program is fully funded and that all of its benefits, including those beyond food assistance such as breastfeeding counseling, are available to all eligible families.

Ensure universal free meals at school

Instead of a means-tested program that can add burdens for both families and school administrators, with complicated paperwork for applications and reimbursements, lawmakers should enact a universal free lunch program at public schools and child care centers.

Fully fund the Section 8 housing voucher program to reach all eligible families

Three-quarters of very low-income families pay more than half of their incomes on rent.

Due to the program's funding structure, it only receives as much funding as Congress allocates to it each year, even if there are more eligible families than there is money. As a result, millions of low-income families are often left with limited options and impossibly long waits for a voucher to become available. Fully investing in the program so that all eligible families receive a voucher-paired with better enforcement and mechanisms against discrimination-would help millions of children live with a roof over their heads.

Ensure affordable health care for all children

The federal government must ensure that all children, no matter their household incomes, have access to comprehensive and affordable health care. Doing so would not only create better health outcomes and future opportunities for those children but would also remove a financial burden for parents.

Future changes to the health care system must ensure stable, affordable coverage for low-income children and provide early and consistent screening, diagnostic, and treatment services so that children have access to the comprehensive and preventive health services that they need.

Ease financial burdens and provide money to help families

Expand and strengthen unemployment insurance

Ensure access to permanent national paid family and medical leave and paid sick leave

Policies that support workers' health and caregiving responsibilities also protect children from economic insecurity and instability. The United States is the only industrialized country without a national paid leave program, leaving many low-wage and part-time workers-who are disproportionately women-without a viable option for paid time off in times of need.

Raise the minimum wage and eliminate subminimum wages for tipped and disabled workers

America's minimum wage has not changed in 10 years-and for longer than that time, it has not kept up with inflation, productivity, or the rising costs families face. Gradually raising the federal minimum wage to $15, as proposed in the Raise the Wage Act, would help almost 10 million parents, including 4.6 million single working parents who need a living wage to ensure financial stability for their kids. The legislation would also phase out the subminimum wage for tipped workers and workers with disabilities. According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, more than 500,000 children would be lifted over the federal poverty line by increasing the minimum wage alone. And already, evidence from state-level minimum wage increases show that the policy can create record-breaking reductions in the child poverty rate.

Ensure affordable child care and universal preschool for all children

Investing in affordable, high-quality child care and universal preschool is a smart decision-not just for the economy and families as a whole but also as a strategy to reduce child poverty in the coming years.

Expand and strengthen child tax credits

Study after study has shown that cash transfer programs can make a big difference in alleviating poverty. These programs allow people to spend the money where it makes the most sense for their families rather than dictating how or when they can use it. The American tax code already includes a program, known as the child tax credit, to disperse payments to low-income families with children. Although it is meant to help offset the cost of raising children, the phase-in structure of the credit means it intentionally excludes the lowest-income families who stand to benefit the most.

To strengthen the child tax credit, lawmakers must pass legislation to increase the benefit and make it fully refundable, disbursed monthly rather than as a one-time lump sum, and indexed to inflation. Most importantly, they must eliminate the minimum earnings requirement to ensure that the most vulnerable children are able to receive the benefit. This would allow the credit to function much like a child allowance that offers cash benefits to families to help them raise children, a policy used in countries that have more successfully reduced child poverty such as Australia, Germany, and Canada. Changes to America's credit are essential for helping families achieve financial security and stability-and research shows that these changes alone would reduce child poverty substantially.

A supplemental young child tax credit targeting additional funds to families with kids under the age of 6-and created with the same conditions as the expanded child tax credit above-would provide support during some of a child's most formative years.

Make structural changes to address generational poverty and marginalization

Conclusion

Child poverty in America is persistent, structural, and solvable, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made it clearer that the existing structures to address child poverty and protect children from hardship are inadequate. Policies that tie basic living standards to a narrow definition of work and exclude families with the lowest incomes only serve to exacerbate the negative impacts of living in poverty-but it doesn't have to be that way.

To ensure that all children are able to thrive, policymakers must focus on supporting children and their families by tackling inequality and discrimination in the labor market, strengthening the social safety net, and addressing structural marginalization across policy areas. The recommendations outlined in this report all tackle those goals; with political will and moral clarity, an America where no child is poor can become a reality.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Taryn Williams, Alexandra Cawthorne-Gaines, Rasheed Malik, Diana Boesch, Robin Bleweis, Khalilah Harris, Thomas Waldrop, Lily Roberts, Lorena Roque, Jaboa Lake, David Ballard, and Kenny Lo for their thoughtful contributions and Kyle Ross and Justin Schweitzer for fact-checking.

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The Basic Facts About Children in Poverty

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Nearly 11 million children are living in poverty in America. Here is how the crisis reached this point-and what steps must be taken to solve it.

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What Are the Different Types of Poverty?

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what?: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed

so what?: This is important to me as a future educator because I know I will have many students who come from families in poverty and I need to know what they are dealing with outside of the classroom to help them the best I can.

now what?: What can we do as a community to lower Arkansas's poverty rate?

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Eleven million children are poor!

-This is important because a large populous is within the poverty line and this directly affects the way students learn and what resources they have access to.

Would you assume that the estimation of impoverished children is so high? Why or why not?

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Response- Tito Reyes  Response to Danielle

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Response- Tito Reyes  Response to Danielle

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I would assume that many children live in poverty due to the state we live in. I don’t want to assume but as an educator, you can pick up on signs. As a future educator, we need to be able to identify certain signs so we can assist our students.

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What?: Child Poverty is very real.

So what?: It is important to understand that not every child comes from the same background. Everyone’s starting point isn’t the same and educators should provide a space that supports children in the classroom.

Now What?: What is something you can do everyday to help children in poverty?

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Donating if you can and volunteering for food banks.

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You can donate to charities that help children and families in poverty like Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF).

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I think one of the ways teachers can help their children in classroom is by providing the materials needed to complete homework or schoolwork to take away the stress of buying a book. For example; making copies of pages to handout to students to read.

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Prioritize children affected by poverty.

So What: Understanding what your students may be going through is important when you approach conversations with them and what you provide in your classroom. Students need their basic needs met in order to learn, and understanding how poverty limits basic needs sometimes can help you analyze where extra support could be needed.

Now What: What are the signs of a child under the stress of poverty? How can you implement things into a classroom to support an impoverished student?

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London, i think this is a great reflection. one thing that i think we could do is if we ourselves are financially stable, keeping things in the classroom that could help those students. things such as snacks, hygiene products, phone chargers, etc.

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Child poverty is solvable

The information in this article is important to me as a future educator because it gives me the statistics of what amount of children are actually in poverty. By knowing this information i can be more sympathetic to students who may not be able to do things that other students are doing because of financial burdens.

What is one thing that we can do as future educators to help the children in our class that are in poverty?

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What? ALICE, poverty statistics, myths, financially

So what? As a future educator, it is important to be aware of the poverty levels in Arkansas. This way you can aid and be aware of your student's situations, and maybe find ways to help them.

Now what? In what way can we help to lower the poverty rates in Arkansas?

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Wider access to public transport to save money on cars, better support in terms of healthcare and food, and raising the minimum wage to at least enough to afford housing in the area.

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Arkansas would need to come together as a community, to help everyone out together. No single person can end poverty, it has to be a collective attempt. We could help people obtain jobs or even housing, we could also petition for a lower cost of living.

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I believe it is very possible to eradicate poverty. I think America has enough resources for adequate housing for everyone in the country. The government could subsidize housing and food easily with a fraction of the amount of money pushed from the Military.

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Answering Question: How can we lower poverty rates?

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Answering Question: How can we lower poverty rates?

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I think a good way to begin with supporting people in poverty is petitioning our legislature to providing more resources and support through the legal system. By being a personal advocate for people you can show the intensity of the problem

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What? Arkansas heavily affected by poverty

So What? In Arkansas there is a staggering about of people that live in poverty. Coming from a county and town that was heavily affected by this, I’ve seen it first hand. All the time I think of things that may have shown it but I didn’t realize as a kid. Even the fact I didn’t realize I was living in poverty myself until late high school. The best thing to do as an educator is offer your student’s your best and don’t expect that in return. Give them what they can use to help themselves when possible and fill in those gaps the best you can.

Now What? What can we as a state do to effectively combat poverty in a way that will genuinely help decrease the percentage without putting a bandaid on the situation.

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I believe there are other things that are given unneeded attention. We can draw funding from overfunded causes and continue to donate necessary resources.

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What? Societal issue, cost of living

So what? As an educator, it is important to know the background and environment my students are learning in so I know how to teach them best. I need to know what they have and what they lack in their environment.

Now what? Will poverty end, if so how will that happen?

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Poverty can be different for everyone.

It is important for teachers to know the different types of poverty caused by lack of resources which can be money, food, health, housing and safety etc. This can effect students from achieving and maintaining their education in and outside of school.

How can teachers help their students who are living in poverty?

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April Velazquez replied to Christina Gomes

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April Velazquez replied to Christina Gomes

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I think as an educator it is important to stay informed and be empathetic to students who are living in poverty. By having a welcoming classroom and trying to find them as much help as possible.

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As future educators we can help students by offering a cart of essential needs, whether that is snacks, hygienic products, things that can be taken home. As well as offering activites that are free for them or very low cost so they are just as involved and loved in the classroom.

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What? Many different types of poverty

So what? Knowing about different types of poverty is important for future educators because it helps them understand the diverse backgrounds and challenges that students may face. By recognizing the different forms of poverty, educators can develop strategies to support students and create an inclusive learning environment.

Now what? How can we work together to ensure equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of their economic background, and address the challenges faced by individuals living in poverty?

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Response:Danielle Strange To Mary Molsbee

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Response:Danielle Strange To Mary Molsbee

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As a future educator we can advocate for our students to educate them on opportunities available to them, whether programs, extended education, or internship programs.

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I think that one of the biggest ways educators can help their students is by staying in constant communication with them, letting them know that you are there for help and support.

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How can i support my students who are struggling with poverty answer - haylee Holloway

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How can i support my students who are struggling with poverty answer - haylee Holloway

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To help students in poverty, teachers should provide essentials like food and supplies, be flexible with assignments, offer emotional support, and connect families with community help. Teachers should understand that students' situations affect their learning and create a supportive classroom. Advocating for better policies and more funding can address poverty's impact on education and help all students succeed.

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A way I would say you could support your students if they are living in poverty is to ask them questions first, then try to help them out with things like gifts, and help, and give them some more time to vent at times.

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As teachers, we are not going to be paid well enough to literally support our students, but we can always help to offer resources such as food pantries, mentorship programs, community closets, etc. If we are able, we can provide snacks and school supplies for those struggling.

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What: Millions of children are impoverished

So what? This is important to me as an educator because I will more than likely have students living below the poverty line. It's important for me to take this into account in order to make a safe and equitable classroom for all of my students across different socioeconomic classes.

Now what? What is the best way to support students living at or below the poverty line?

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Impoverished Children need more support.

Safety nets in place to help those in poverty don't adequately help those with families. Families who don't meet the requirements for work often don't get the benefits they need. Children need to feel safe a supported in the classroom. Making sure that no projects require money or internet is great start. Then making sure they feel heard helps to make them believe more in themselves.

What would you suggest schools do to help children in need?

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Response to Jay Edwards

I suggest a “take what you need” box in a location that doesn’t draw attention to students that need something from the box. The box would include hygiene products, school supplies, donated clothes, canned/non perishable food items, and etc.

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WHAT: Not enough money to cover needs.

SO WHAT: As educators we have a responsibility to be aware of the socioeconomic status of our students and provide them with resources that meet their needs and give them access to things they may not have been able to get other wise like food, water, clean clothes, or school supplies.

NOW WHAT: How can teachers help students living in poverty to raise test scores and push them toward academic success.

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1) The article talked about the current poverty rates and how we measure poverty in the United States.

2) The information from the article would benefit me as a future educator because I will be working with many children all who come from different economic backgrounds.

3) How can teachers better integrate their knowledge of poverty into the classroom and bring awareness. (Without students feeling singled out)

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1 in 7 children in the United States live in poverty. This article in important as a future educator because the statics paint a picture of just how many students are living in poverty and helps educators be more mindful to the living situations of students. How can we provide support to students living in poverty in our classrooms?

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1. Situational, Generational, Relative, Urban, Rural

2. So What? It’s important to know the different types of poverty and not make assumptions. Also to consider that poverty is the lack of resources not love. Many students deal with trauma related to poverty and as teachers we must think of ways to better it on our ends, to make sure they receive the necessary logical help.

3. How as educators do we help students fighting poverty stay ahead, while keeping the attention equal in the classroom?

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The best way to help end poverty in Arkansas is vote for those that would actively try to help in this area. Advocate and when possible vote for social safety nets that would better help those that are affected by poverty. Being an advocate in a real way rather than wishful thinking.

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What? Children are just as affected by poverty.

So what? It is important to realize children also go through the same struggles as their parents/guardians. Many children hide it because they are scared they will be made fun of because of their situation. Students may come from completely different background than others in the classroom, so it is important to make them all feel equally loved in the classroom as well.

Now what? What are some signs students show of poverty? How can we, as future educators, help students be supported inside the classroom without making them feel different from other students?

Now what?

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What: Children shouldn't have to worry, but they do.

So What: As a future educator, you are going to have to understand that not all children have the same background and access to resources, and some children will know things like 'Mommy had to pay the bills, so we can't eat at home'. A child should not have to worry about that, but they do.

Now What: What are ways that teachers can discreetly help children so they don't feel embarrassed to ask for help or by their peers?

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make students aware that there is help, but not directly to a single student you know is struggling, but to the class as a whole.

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The numbers of child poverty are actually high in the United States and has been high for a long time. In fact in the U.S. one in seven kids are in poverty. Some of the main reason causing poverty for children are low paying jobs, single parent households and the burden of financially taking care of a family, and disabilities in some cases. However there is a solution to solving this poverty issue, this article gives a long list from offering a more secure health befits, higher paying jobs and securing basic needs for families.

Now what? How can educators who are aware of child poverty provide resources to families in need, how can we engage and be connected to all available resources in the community to provide this information to others?

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What?: generational, situational, location, absolute, and relative.

So what?: Poverty is derived from many different things and there are different types of poverty. It is important as a future educator to understand the differences in types and reasons of poverty so that we can better help our students and peers.

Now what?: Why is it important to understand the different types of poverty?

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1.) Poverty does not discriminate

2.) Pulaski country is beside the country that I live in. I know a lot of people in Arkansas struggle financially and live in poverty. We are surrounded by poverty and so many people struggle to pull themselves out of poverty but a lot of sacrifices have to be made. As a future educator we have to prepare ourselves for a diverse classroom and will encounter students that live in poverty. We need to make sure we can assist our future students to the best of our abilities so they can have the best chance for success.

3.)How can we better assist students that live in poverty?

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What? Child poverty rate has increased.

So What? This is important because this could affect children's ability to learn and their surroundings around their education.

Now What? Why would you think that ages 5 and under have the highest increase for poverty?

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Vanessa Hawley responding to Emma Wilson 

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Vanessa Hawley responding to Emma Wilson 

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I think a great way to support students without calling attention to their situation is the implementation of a classroom closet with food, water, hygiene items, school supplies, etc. This allows for all students to have open access to the things they need without feeling judged or looked down on by peers or mentors.

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What - Poverty is based on the current financial state you're in. Not having the money to buy basic needs. Poverty is measured based on data from household incomes.

So what - As an educator I have to understand that everyone's background is different. Some may have grew up fortunate, but others may have grown up with nothing. I have to take this into consideration and adapt. If that means coming out of pocket to make sure all of my students can have the same opportunities then I will.

Now what- How can I accommodate to students who are experiencing Poverty?

now what

# data[].attributes.body
Poverty is determined by one's current financial circumstances, often indicating the inability to afford basic necessities. It's typically assessed through household income data. As educators, it's vital to recognize the diverse backgrounds of our students. While some may have had privileged upbringings, others may have experienced significant financial hardships.

Understanding these differences is crucial, and it may require adapting our approach to ensure all students have equal opportunities. This could mean personally investing to bridge gaps and provide necessary resources for every student to thrive.

how do I accommodate for students in poverty? Are there grants available, where do I find them?