Children living in poverty are affected daily in a number of ways. These children coming from poor families are forced to deal with obstacles that other children don’t have to worry about, such as suffering from hunger, poor health, emotional problems, and more. Children living in poverty often find themselves without guidance or mentoring and because of this and the other obstacles they face as a result of their financial situation, they often struggle in the classroom. These children are living in households with living conditions that make it difficult to reach their full potential in the classroom, but unless they find a way to excel academically, they are almost guaranteed to follow their parents’ footsteps into poverty. This vicious cycle is the unfortunate reality for these children living in poverty, and the only way to end it is make sure no child is kept from reaching their potential because of their family’s financial status.

Population-Based Indicators of Well-Being for Poor
and Nonpoor Children in the United States