Poverty and School Readiness

Poverty causes a wide variety of risks for the development of young children. They may have poor nutrition, less stimulating environments, exposure to stress, less consistency in living environments and care providers, and less attention from parents who must work long hours and cope with the multiple stressors that poverty creates.

The demographics of poverty tell us that children are currently the age group most likely to live in poverty, and the gap between the rich and poor is widening. Increasing the financial stability of families with young children can have positive effects on children’s outcomes. One study found that “a child whose family is $10,000 wealthier over the first 5 years of its life has 2.8 times the chance of graduation from high school than the child in the baseline family.^[1]

In 2005, 36% of Washington children lived in families where no parent had full-time, year round employment.
In 2006, 15% of children in Washington State and 13% of children in King County lived in poverty. The child poverty rate has increased over the past 10 years.
In 2005, 28% of children in Washington State lived in single-parent families. Families with only one parent are more likely to have low incomes.
12,371 infants were served by food banks in King County in 2002^[2]
33% of infants were served by the WIC Program in King County during the first year of life in 2001^[3]
23% of King County births in 2000 were paid for by Medicaid^[4]
3% of King County children lived in high poverty neighborhoods in 2000^[5]

Effects of Family Resources on Child Development
Resource Type	Child Outcomes
Income/Financial Resources	There is a strong and consistent association between poverty and poor developmental outcomes. Economic conditions in early years are more important than in later years.
Mother’s Work	Low-income children may benefit from mothers’ work in terms of cognitive outcomes. Challenging, flexible work can be beneficial to children.
Parent Education	More parental education is associated with higher child achievement and positive behavior. More highly educated mothers give more intellectual challenges to their children.
Family Structure	Children in single-parent families have more problems and worse outcomes than others. This is probably due to lower incomes of single parent families and greater stress.
Psychological Well-being	Lower-income parents are at greater risk for psychological distress. Poor mental health is related to harsh, inconsistent parenting
Parenting Beliefs & Practices	There are some differences indiscipline strategies by income level. Important parent values do not differ by social class.
Home Learning Environment	Stimulation, emotional support, structure, safety, and frequency of interaction are all associated with the well-being of both lower and higher-income children.

Source: National Research Council, Institute of Medicine^[6]

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^[1] Duncan, G (1988). The volatility of Family Income Over the Life Course. P. Baltes, D. Feathermand & R. Learner (Eds.), Life-span development and behavior (pp. 317-358). Hillsdate, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
^[2] AECF 2007 Kids Count, Cliks data
^[3] AECF 2007 Kids Count, Cliks data
^[4] AECF 2007 Kids Count, Cliks data
^[5] AECF 2007 Kids Count, Cliks data
^[6] National Reserach Council, Institute of Medicine 2000. The Science of Early childhood Development: A Summary Report of From Neurons to Neighborhoods, p 11

2007 - United Way of King County - Questions and Comments?