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The Causes of Child Poverty

In the United States, an estimated 13 million children live in poverty, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP). About 18 percent of all children live below the Federal poverty line for a family of four. In these families, the parent(s) makes less than $22,050 a year. There are a variety of reasons that child poverty exists.

  1. Low Wages

    • Contrary to some stereotypes, 56 percent of children in poverty have a parent who works full-time, according to Robert C. Fellmeth, Price Professor of Public Interest Law at the University of San Diego School of Law and executive director of the Children's Advocacy Institute (reference 2). A full 28 percent have parents who work part-time and only 16 percent of parents are unemployed. Generally these parents work in low-wage jobs with few benefits and no room for advancement. Though parents work, the wages are not enough to support their families so children live in poverty.

    Single Parenthood

    • Children living in single-parent families, particularly those headed by women, are much more likely to be poor, notes FightPoverty.com. On average, women earn less than men, reducing their ability to support a family. Two-parent families also have twice the income potential as single-parent families. This effect can be lessened if the father contributes child support.

    Lack of Child Support

    • Children in fatherless homes are five times more likely to live in poverty. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2005, only 47 percent of fathers paid full child support. Because of this lack, these children are at higher risk for poverty, particularly if they live in a single-parent home where the mother is the primary breadwinner.

    Parental Education

    • According to NCCP, children whose parents do not have a high school diploma are more likely to live in poverty. In fact, 83 percent of children with parents who did not graduate from high school live in poverty. But a high school diploma does not guarantee affluence. Over half of children whose parents only have such a diploma are also low-income.

    Minority Status

    • Minority children are at higher risk than white children for living in poverty. The NCCP speculates that this is because the other risk factors for child poverty, such as single parenthood, absent fathers and low parental wages, are generally higher within black and Latino communities, .

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