Children in Poverty: Child Development and Public Policy

by Aletha C. Huston

Overview

The number of children living in poverty in the United States increased dramatically during the 1980s and remains high. By 1985, twenty percent of all children lived in families subsisting below the poverty line; percentages for black and Hispanic children were notably higher. The articles in this book attempt to address three main issues: Why so many children grow up in poor families, what the effects of poverty on a child's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development are, and what role can public policy and policy research play in preventing or alleviating the damaging effects of poverty on children? Most books on poverty focus on analysis of the parents' income, and policies are aimed at self-sufficiency. This book is unique because it is child-centered. It concludes that solving the problem of childhood poverty requires society to assume greater responsibility for providing aid directly influencing the child, such as child allowances, medical care, child care and child support.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521391627
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/28/1992
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	6.46(w) x 9.65(h) x 0.94(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Children in poverty: developmental and policy issues; 2. The economic environment of childhood; 3. The role of mother-only families in reproducing poverty; 4. The association between adolescent parenting and childhood poverty; 5. The strain of living poor: parenting, social support, and child mental health; 6. The health of poor children: problems and programs; 7. With a little help: children in poverty and child care; 8. Poverty, early childhood education, and academic competence: the Abecedarian experiment; 9. Educational acceleration for at-risk students; 10. Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses of interventions for children in poverty; 11. Effective progras for children growing up in concentrated poverty; 12. Antecedents, consequences, and possible solutions for poverty among children; Author index; Subject index.

Editorial Reviews

"Intended for policymakers and scholars....A useful resource for its intended audience." F.J. Peirce, Choice

"...a thorough and rather tightly written discussion of the issues underlying what is arguably the number one social problem facing the United States, children in poverty. The book is informative, thorough, interesting and important..." Charles A. Kiesler, Contemporary Psychology

"...a timely and important book....highly useful collection of original papers....an intelligent book that provides perhaps the most comprehensive single source available today on the subject...has clearly set an agenda for policy-related research for many years to come." Daniel T. Lichter, American Journal of Sociology

"...usefully presents information that is both detailed and current. The novelty of the volume is that it combines social statistics with policy research on specific programs affecting poor children, arguing that we now know enough to justify large program reforms. Children in Poverty is authoritative: anyone interested in child policy must read it." Bruce Bellingham, Contemporary Sociology

"...usefully presents information that is both detailed and current. The novelty of the volume is that it combines social statistics with policy research on specific programs affecting poor children, arguing that we now know enough to justify large program reforms. Children in Poverty is authoritative: anyone interested in child policy must read it." Bruce Bellingham, Contemporary Sociology

"...an integrated approach to policymakers and researchers about the complex and unique problems that face children in poverty. By compiling an impressive array of research data that delineates the effects of poverty on America's children, this book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to have a realistic picture of the plight facing many children." Theresa M. Jones, Child Development Abstracts & Bibliography

"...authoritative: anyone interested in child policy must read it." Bruce Bellingham, Contemporary Sociology

"Focuses on children rather than on parental income or self-sufficiency to examine questions related to the increasing numbers of children in poverty." Public Welfare

From the Publisher