Google pulled this up first hit:
Child Poverty
About 15 million children in the United States – 21% of all children – live in families with incomes below the
federal poverty threshold, a measurement that has been shown to underestimate the
needs of families. Research shows that, on average, families need an income of about twice that level to cover basic expenses. Using this standard, 43% of children live in low-income families.
Most of these children have parents who work, but
low wages and unstable employment leave their families struggling to make ends meet. Poverty can impede children’s
ability to learn and contribute to social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Poverty also can contribute to poor
health and
mental health. Risks are greatest for children who experience poverty when they are
young and/or experience deep and persistent poverty.
Research is clear that poverty is the single greatest threat to children’s well-being. But effective public policies – to
make work pay for low-income parents and to provide high-quality early care and learning experiences for their children – can make a difference. Investments in the most vulnerable children are also critical.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Um yeah, that's a problem.
