Children and Poverty Conditions - Essay

Children and Poverty Conditions

9/24/2021

What are some of the characteristics of children who grow up in poverty conditions? Discuss where these children live and who cares for them.

Children living in poverty are affected emotionally, physically, socially, and mentally not to mention these children may be susceptible to a shorter lifetime. The affects of poverty are presented before a child is born. Most parents living in poverty do not receive satisfactory prenatal care which is needed for the child to develop appropriately. In addition, the child is at risk of being born prematurely and often they will suffer from birth defects and developmental delays. Children of color and ethnic minorities are disproportionately more likely to live in poverty (Crosson-Tower).  The stressful situations these children encounter on a daily basis can led the child to have low self-esteem and difficulties forming relationships with other even before they enter school.

What are some of the problems children face when they grow up in poverty? Specifically, discuss the impact of poverty on the health, nutrition, and safety of children. What are the traumatic effects of poverty and what outcomes might a child face without effective intervention?

Some of the causes of poverty are imprisonment, divorce, natural disasters, substance abuse, overpopulation, lack of education, health, housing, geographic factors, economy, disease, and mental illness. Single parents are two to three times higher to be affected by poverty. For most when they put their children bed they have so many questions. Like, how am I going to put food on the table? How will I be able to pay the bills this month? If I skip this bill what will happen? This can be a family’s experience for a brief period but for most chronic poverty is experienced throughout their life creating a culture of poverty. According to anthropologist Oscar Lewis, cultural poverty suggests that poverty results from a person’s values and cultural norms. When better opportunities arise for individuals within the community, they are more likely to shy away from them because of their beliefs. The poor will commit cycles of destructive behaviors that keep them in poverty. Even if the environment improves, such as better schools. This is where the issue rises what else would contribute to this problem. “For this way of life to come into being and flourish certain preconditions must be met”. (Lewis, 1966)  In most cases the most obvious challenge is the lack of financial resources, but whatever the case the risks rise when it comes to the effects on children. How does poverty and poor healthcare affect children mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Primarily poverty can be broken down various groups: Absolute, relative poverty, generational and situational poverty. This is the quantity of people living under a certain income level and unable to afford basic goods and services defined as absolute. Relative poverty are people categorized as living in poverty because they do not meet certain standards. These people have the essentials of living a strong lifestyle; however, they still classify as living in poverty because they live below the federal or state poverty threshold. On the other hand, poverty can be generational or situational. Generational poverty is defined as being in poverty for two or more generations. Situational poverty is due to different circumstances such as death in family, loss of job and is usually for a shorter period.

What are some of the recent efforts to fight poverty? Have these programs been effective? 

The government programs such as food stamps, free or reduced lunch, Medicaid, government checks are the safety net for children living in poverty. These programs help children cope with the changes by giving them a way where they can still maintain some normal see to their lives. For example, school breakfasts and lunches are the only meals some children get (“Find Free Meals for Kids during COVID-19”). Eighty percent of children in the United States qualify for either free or reduced lunch.

Works Cited

Crosson-Tower, Cynthia. Exploring Child Welfare : A Practice Perspective. Pearson, 2018.

“Damaging Effects of Poverty on Children.” Cornell Research, 4 Jan. 2017, research.cornell.edu/news-features/damaging-effects-poverty-children.

“Find Free Meals for Kids during COVID-19.” Pennsylvania Department of Education, www.education.pa.gov/Schools/safeschools/emergencyplanning/COVID-19/Meals4Kids/Pages/default.aspx#:~:text=Pennsylvania%20sought%20and%20received%20approval%20from%20the%20Federal. Accessed 24 Sept. 2021.

Lewis, Oscar. “The Culture of Poverty.” Scientific American, vol. 215, no. 4, 1966, pp. 19–25, www.ssc.wisc.edu/~gwallace/Papers/Lewis%20(1966).pdf.

Segal, Elizabeth A., et al. An Introduction to the Profession of Social Work : Becoming a Change Agent. Cengage, 2019.

“Walking 8 Miles for GED Classes L Hidden America: Children of the Mountains PART 2/6.” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_Wm4y8wQ5A&list=PLrJop0eegOO06KqoCu0Iu95CO9cL0B6Me&index=3. Accessed 26 May 2021.