I grew up in a small town nestled in the mountains of Western Maryland.  It was a coal mining town, and the majority of jobs available were for unskilled labor.  People didn’t make a lot of money, but they did what was necessary to get by and provide the basics for their family.  I saw poverty but not enough to really think about it.

When I was 10 years old, my family moved to a suburb of Atlanta so that my dad could get out of the mines and get a better job.  My mom was a school teacher, so she didn’t have any trouble finding a position.  In this new suburban environment, I was even further removed from poverty as we fell into a typical middle class life.

Then, as I grew older and had a family of my own, we have worked hard to continuously improve our station in life.  All along the way, the distance between me and poverty has grown.  Does this sound like a familiar story?  The majority of people I know, including me, have no idea what it’s like to live below the poverty level.

Sure, we see the commercials on TV about the dire needs of children in third world countries who live on less than a dollar a day, but it’s hard for that to really connect with us.  We feel sympathy for those suffering, but then we go on with our daily lives and worry about how we’re going to retire early or pay for our kids college tuition or recover from recent losses in our stock or 401K plans.

Most of the people I know don’t worry about where the next meal will come from, but rather what kind of side dish would they like with their steak or chicken.  The fact is we are out of touch with the needs of those who suffer from living below the poverty line both in America and around the world.

Poverty in America is a bigger problem than you would think, especially as it relates to children.  Here are some basic statistics with links:

13 million American children live in families with income below the federal poverty level

The number of children living in poverty in America has increased by 15% between 2000 and 2007

Another 39% or 28 million kids in America live in families with “low income” levels

34% of black children; 29% of Latino children; 13% of Asian children; and, 10% of white children live in poor families

22% of rural children and 25% of central city children live in poverty, whereas 13% of suburban children live in poor families

Poverty rates are highest among families headed by single women at 28%

As of 2000, the U.S. government tax strategies only lowers the child poverty rate by 4.7%, which is the lowest among the top 16 developed nations

Here is a point of reference as to the effects of poverty on children worldwide:

26,500 children die every day from poverty related causes

There’s a couple of things about these statistics that really bother me.

For instance, how is it possible that we live in the wealthiest nation on the planet and yet roughly 20% of all children in America live in families below the poverty level?

Who bears the responsibility of helping these children?  Is it the parents alone?  Should the government be more involved, especially when you see that America’s strategies do the least overall among developed nations to reduce the child poverty rate?

What could these children achieve in their lives if they were given better opportunities and less stress or pressure from living in poverty?

What solutions are most effective in reducing the child poverty level in America?

What can each of us do to help solve this problem?

Personally, I feel like accountability for the solutions lies primarily with the parents.  Each parent has an obligation to do everything within their power to provide a decent life for their kids.  I also feel like it is up to the parents to break the cycle of poverty, although I recognize that there is a need for some outside empowerment strategies to make that happen.

There is a role for government, but I feel like it should be more incentive-based as it relates to direct financial aid to families.  Tax relief is a strategy that I also support.  And, I do think government can help with things like healthcare for all children, at a minimum.  The thing I don’t like about government involvement is enabling the cycle of poverty to continue by giving free hand-outs to parents without a stipulation to be working.

What do you think are the solutions to eliminating child poverty in America?

This article is in support of the 2008 Blog Action Day.

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