Pathways Out of Long-Term Childhood Poverty
A new report from the Urban Institute explores the factors that can lead to economic success for children who are persistently poor, meaning that they spend at least half of their first 17 years in poverty. Escaping Poverty: Predictors of Persistently Poor Children’s Economic Success finds that nearly 12 percent of American children, more than half of whom are black, will grow up in persistently poor families, dramatically increasing the likelihood that they will not find consistent employment or get a college degree. The authors’ recommendations include developing place-conscious strategies to improve the conditions of especially poor neighborhoods and schools, and ensuring that low-income families have easy access to benefits for which they are eligible.