Single-Parent Households

• The Kids Count Data Center of the Annie Casey Foundation reports that in 2009, 34 percent of children lived in single parent families. According to Child Trends, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization, children who live in single-parent homes are at a higher risk for poverty than children living in two-parent families. In single-parent families, income might be limited, often because of a lack of job skills on the part of the custodial parent. Even when a single parent has a good paying job, living on one income without outside support might leave less money for essentials such as clothing, healthy food and safe housing.
  
  

Undereducation Affects Wage Earning Ability

• Another factor that contributes to a cycle of poverty is the lack of education. When a parent does not finish high school, he is likely to settle for a low-paying job or be chronically unemployed. As a result, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2009 the median weekly earnings for a high school dropout amounted to $454 per week compared with $626 per week for a high school graduate, which can affect how families provide for their children. A college graduate earned $1,025 per week. From these salary variations based on education, it can be concluded that a child born to parent who is a high school dropout is more likely to live in poverty. It should also be noted that high school dropouts are more likely to be unemployed than their high school or college-educated peers.
  
  

Race Contributes to Poverty

• Child Trends indicates that there is a strong correlation between poverty and race. Current research shows that in the United States, more black children live in poverty than children of other races. Generally, blacks earn less than whites. Black families tend to have fewer economic resources than their white counterparts, which affects the ability to get through tough times such as layoffs or other periods of financial strain such as disability or illness.
  
  

Poverty Persists in Rural Areas

• The Carsey Institute report, "The Forgotten Fifth, Child Poverty in Rural America," suggests that the geographical location where a child resides can play a role in poverty. Child poverty is greater in rural areas than urban areas. Child poverty in rural areas tends to be deeper and persistent. Many of the same reasons for child poverty anywhere are responsible for rural child poverty, including parents with limited education and the lack of well-paying jobs. Another observation in the Carsey Report concerning children living in poverty in rural areas is that immigrants, particularly Hispanic/Latino families, often settle in rural locations where farm work is available. Language barriers and other issues associated with immigration result in limited educational opportunities and little chance of advancing to higher-paying employment.
  
  

Families Need Support to Overcome Poverty

• Experts at the Urban Institute suggest that addressing childhood poverty requires programs that provide safety nets for families who are trying to overcome poverty. For example, the poor parent who returns to school or participates in a job-training program might need subsidized child care. Additionally, food security programs such as food stamps should be expanded to accommodate families who are just above the poverty threshold, which is used as the cutoff point for eligibility for many services.