This fact sheet discusses how the U.S. government measures poverty, why the current measure is inadequate, and what alternative ways exist to measure economic hardship. How does the U.S. measure poverty? The U.S. government measures poverty by a narrow income standard that does not include other aspects of economic status, such as material hardship (for […]
Publication Type: Fact Sheet
Learn about our Making Work Supports Work project. Access to secure and affordable health insurance is critical for all Americans. In the public debate, children’s coverage has received particular attention and support. But access to health care for parents is a key predictor of access to health care for children. To help inform the national […]
Learn about our Improving the Odds for Young Children project. As the national debate about health care continues, two things remain clear about ensuring children’s health: Access to health insurance is not enough. While eligibility for and enrollment in Medicaid and/or SCHIP is fundamental, children must get to the doctor at regular intervals for the […]
Learn about our Making Work Supports Work project. Houston families are working harder than ever. In fact, more than 75 percent of the children living in low-income families in Houston have parents who are employed, and the majority of these children – about 400,000 – have parents who work full-time, year-round. But, despite their best […]
Learn about our Making Work Supports Work project. San Antonio families are working harder than ever. In fact, more than 85 percent of the children living in low-income families in San Antonio have parents who are employed, and the majority of these children – about 150,000 – have parents who work full-time, year-round. But, despite […]
Learn about our Social Inclusion & Respect for Diversity project. This study is a two-year action research project that addresses a central challenge: What do we know about strategies for promoting social inclusion and respect for diversity (SI & RD) in early childhood education environments? The project is designed to examine the efficacy of four […]
What is the role of the schooling experience in the educational trajectories and outcomes of children exposed to risk? Maternal and family risks are associated with greater absenteeism and the cumulative exposure to risk best predicts chronic absenteeism in early schooling. Kindergarten children in contact with three or more risks missed three or more days […]
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 […]
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 […]