The Effects Of Poverty On Children

Poverty is defined as the condition of not having enough money to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. The absolute poverty line is calculated as the minimum income needed to meet dietary recommendations with a small allowance for non-food goods (Engle & Black, 2008). According to the US Census Bureau, the 2015 poverty level for one person under 65 years of age was $12,331. For a family of three it was $19,076, and for a family of four it was $24,036. In 2015, the official poverty rate was 13.5%, concluding that 43.1 million Americans were living in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016). Poverty causes many chronic stressors in a child’s life. These stressors lead to deficits in mental and physical health such as cognitive lags, poor language acquisition, and malnourishment, thus adversely impacting child development.

Generally, families that live in poverty reside in extremely poor neighborhoods. These neighborhoods do not have access to many resources that foster child development such as playgrounds, child care, health care facilities,

There is a higher incidence of asthma, respiratory infections, tuberculosis, ear infections and hearing loss, and obesity (Jensen, 2009). Children who reside in neighborhoods with high rates of poverty are also exposed to an increased amount of environmental contaminants. For example, many low-SES communities include old, inadequate housing that include toxic lead paint. This has been shown to be associated with decreased IQ, stunted growth, hearing loss, vitamin D metabolism damage, impaired blood production, and toxic effects on the kidneys (Brooks-Gunn & Duncan, 1997). They are often more exposed to radon and carbon monoxide. This leads to more stress on their immune systems, leading to diminished “ability to concentrate, learn, and behave appropriately” (Jensen,