Asset Poverty and Debt Among Families with Children

Learn about our Making Work Supports Work project. Introduction Increasingly the significance of asset ownership among low-income families is being recognized. Assets such as savings and homeownership are vital components of a family’s economic security, along with income and human and social capital. In this report, we use the term “assets” to refer to financial […]

Who are America’s Poor Children?: The Official Story

Fourteen million American children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, which is $22,050 a year for a family of four. The number of children living in poverty increased by 21 percent between 2000 and 2008. There are 2.5 million more children living in poverty today than in 2000. Not only are […]

Basic Facts About Low-income Children, 2008: Children Under Age 6

Learn about our Improving the Odds for Young Children project. For comparable information about all children, see Basic Facts About Low-income Children, 2008: Children Under Age 18, or about infants and toddlers, see Basic Facts About Low-income Children, 2008: Children Under Age 3, or about young children, see Basic Facts About Low-income Children, 2008: Children […]

Low-income Children in the United States: National and State Trend Data, 1998-2008

After nearly a decade of decline, the number of children living in low-income families has increased significantly since 2000. This data book provides national and 50-state trend data on the characteristics of low-income children over the past decade: parental education, parental employment, marital status, family structure, race and ethnicity, age distribution, parental nativity, home ownership, […]

Parents’ Low Education Leads to Low Income, Despite Full-Time Employment

Higher education is one of the most effective ways that parents can raise their families’ incomes. There is clear evidence that higher educational attainment is associated with higher earnings. Over the past two decades, parents with less education have been losing economic ground. Policies that support education for low-income parents and children offer them the […]

Most Low-Income Parents Are Employed

Despite low levels of unemployment, average household income has declined since 2000. The number of children living in low-income families has continued to rise. Programs that provide supports for low-income, working parents can increase income and child well-being. The majority of children in low-income families have parents who are employed full-time and year-round. 56% of […]