Poverty In The United States

Among the poorest groups of people in the United States, children are the top group. There are many factors that contribute to the poverty of hundreds of children around our country. Children cannot provide for themselves the things that they need. It is illegal for a child to work, and they do not have the capacity to be able to sustain income for themselves. They completely rely on their parents and the income that their parents make. Not only do children rely on their parents but also government programs that are provided to them. There are many resources that are being cut because of budget funds and this has had a negative effect on many children. Without the programs necessary many families that are living in poverty are facing the struggle

to make ends meet. Poverty has negative effects on children since it impedes many things. It makes it harder for them to learn, and effects their mental and physical conditions. Poverty is a great threat to children so there are drastic measures that need to be taken in order to reduce the level of poverty. The young generations are not only America’s but the Worlds future so they need to be taken care of.
Many children that are poor come from low income families that cannot supply enough income for their entire family. Many low income families have parents that have dropped out of school and do not have a high school or college degree. These parents are stuck with having a low wage paying job, since they do not have the education necessary to pursue a better job. Many children living in poverty also come from single parent household. Single parents struggle in covering all the cost with a low paying job. If the parent has multiple children, it is a struggle to supply enough money to cover their individual costs. There are bills that pile up and necessities that need to be covered, and one paycheck is not capable of covering it all.
The government is responsible for providing many services that a child needs to thrive.

One of the biggest service that the government provides is free public education. Poor children that live in low income households are not able to pay for their education and attend a private school. Therefore, they only rely on the education that is provided for them in their neighborhoods. Since the government has had budget costs, the biggest budget cost has been on education. Education has worsened because schools are not able to provide to their students that tools necessary for a proper education. Materials are scarce, especially in schools that are located in poor rural neighborhoods. The schools that are the most affected by government cost are the schools that are located in poor neighborhoods. Low income families are not able to relocate to neighborhoods that are more economically stable and have nicer schools for their children. When schools aren’t able to supply children with the best education, then it is harder for them to be successful in the long run. Another budget cut has been on nutrition and health services. Nutrition is especially important since hunger is one of the biggest things that poor children suffer through. Bad nutrition can lead to health issues, and low income families are not able to cover the medical expenses. Social services and early education funds have also been cut when are services that many children need. Many children living in poverty face social struggles that need to be taken care of in order for them to be successful. Poverty comes with many types of struggles that can mentally and physically hurt a child. Many time children in poverty live surrounded by violence which can have many different effects on a child’s life. Early education is necessary and crucial for many parents since it is a cheaper than having to pay a caretaker or

daycare.
Poverty can hurt a child physically and mentally in various ways. As previously mention, children that live in poverty are more likely to be surrounded by an environment were violence is seen constantly. In most cases, poor neighborhoods are known to be surrounded by violence and drugs. When the education is bad, children are most likely to drop out of school at a very early age. Once they are out of school, it is very easy for them to fall into bad habits. They might get pulled in by gangs which can provide them with drugs and lead them to delinquent acts. Violence and drugs can hurt a child mentally and physically especially If they end at a very young age. Once this happens, they might have destroyed their entire life forever. Low income parents are not able to provide sufficient food and meals for their families. Many times these children live in hunger which leads to malnutrition. It is another reason why children in poverty are many times obese. Food that is not very healthy is cheaper, so people in poverty are more likely to purchase these foods. Fruits and vegetables are pretty expensive especially for families living in poverty.
There must be action taken to improve the lives of all the children that are living in poverty. The government has to prioritize the lives of the children living in the country and put forth more money to be used on improving education and public services. By improving education many children in poverty will be able to thrive and someday get out of poverty. They wont ruin their lives by falling into bad habits. They will not be hurt mentally and physically by the hardship that poverty brings them if we all contributed to offer them the programs necessary for their success. If we offer low income parents better paying job and salaries than maybe they will be able to provide their children with the things that they need. Lowering the prices on healthier foods can help lower the obesity rate among poor children as well as the malnutrition. Proper nutrition is key to the growth and development of a child and it is essential to provide them proper foods. By offering low income families proper services to help them out we can reduce child poverty little by little.