Poverty & Family Economics

One in five children live in poverty today. Economic insecurity in childhood can often lead to lifelong disadvantages, ranging from poor health to low achievement in school. Federal investments like the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit lift millions of children and families out of poverty every year, but yet children still continue to bear the brunt of the recession’s effects. The good news is that we know how to reduce child poverty.
Modeled after the United Kingdom's efforts, the Child Poverty Action Group is a network of organizations committed to setting a child poverty target through a coordinated strategy of investments for children, measures to make work pay, and efforts to increase financial support for families. We need to build on what works and help families provide the security that is essential so that all children can fulfill their potential. Sign up to receive updates from the Child Poverty Action Group to learn how you can be part of ending poverty among children and families.
Resources
The Family Security Act 2.0 Creates Winners and Losers
Cara Baldari, Michelle Dallafior, Campaign for Children | July 8, 2022 |
Our children are facing some of the most challenging times seen in our nation’s history. America’s historically high rate of child poverty and significant …
Comment on proposed changes to the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey
| May 18, 2022 |
First Focus on Children submitted the following comment to the Office of Management and Budget to stress the need for long-term access to frequent …
Watch: Studies show Children enjoyed more stable lives with pandemic aid
Michele Kayal | April 20, 2022 |
Analysts from Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan have found that federal pandemic assistance helped close the persistent gap in material hardship for U.S. …
Watch: Child poverty experts outline successful strategies
Cara Baldari, First Focus Campaign for Children | April 12, 2022 |
Earlier today, the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group, GRACE & End Child Poverty California campaign, and the First Focus Campaign for Children hosted a …
One year ago, we proved that we know how to end child poverty — we can’t stop now.
Aubrey Edwards-Luce, Cara Baldari, Michelle Dallafior | March 24, 2022 |
2021 was a landmark year for reducing child poverty in the United States. One-year improvements to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) included in the …
Issue Brief: How Tax Credits Could Provide Transition-Age Youth Greater Financial Stability
Aubrey Edwards-Luce | January 21, 2022 |
Who are Transition-Age Youth? Transition-Age Youth (“TAY”) are teenagers and young adults between ages 16 and 24 who are making the transition to adulthood. …
A Senate Majority Is Allowing Child Poverty to Nearly Double
Bruce Lesley, First Focus Campaign for Children | January 6, 2022 |
Former Secretary Robert Reich asks a very important question: Why has America chosen to dramatically reduce poverty among the nation’s elderly but not among our children? …
What’s at stake for kids if Congress doesn’t pass Build Back Better
Aubrey Edwards-Luce, Averi Pakulis, Cara Baldari, Carrie Fitzgerald, Conor Sasner, Elaine Dalpiaz, Haley Winter, Kathy Sacco, Michelle Dallafior, Miriam Abaya, Olivia Gomez, First Focus Campaign for Children | December 22, 2021 |
As negotiations have stalled and the fate of the Build Back Better Act hangs in the balance, children stand to lose access to monthly …
Just in time for the holidays, Congress may slash benefits for struggling families
Tim Smith, First Focus Campaign for Children | December 9, 2021 |
Next week, millions of families will receive the last child tax credit payment of 2021. That we know for certain. But much else when …
Build Back Better package is part of a larger fight to end child poverty in America
Cara Baldari, First Focus Campaign for Children | October 26, 2021 |
For the first time in generations, we are on the precipice of making serious and long-term progress to reduce our stubbornly high rate of …