Children in Persistent Poverty

The economic situation of families that children are born into too often predetermines the opportunities they will have to lead productive lives. This is particularly troubling for children who are born into poverty. Indeed, about half of poor newborns will spend at least half of their childhood living below the poverty line. The effects can reproduce themselves generation after generation, leaving many American families caught in a vicious circle of poverty.

This video explores the ways persistent poverty affects children, adults, and society at large. It takes a look at the number of persistently poor children, the demographic groups most affected, and what happens to persistently poor children over time. And it suggests ways of shaping policies to help break the vicious circle and put more children and families on a path to economic prosperity and healthier lives.