Childhood Poverty in Mississippi

Community Problem Report: Childhood Poverty in Mississippi Octavio Lopez-Lozano The University Of Texas at El Paso

Childhood Poverty in Mississippi

Abstract

Poverty is an issue that affects millions of people every day in the United States. Mississippi is the state that is being affected the most. A lot of the people in poverty there are children. Children are being affected in more ways than one. Education, health, and distinguishing right from wrong are just some examples of what are affecting children in poverty. Children that are being affected by poverty may not grow up to be educated or to be the person they want to be. Unless there are people out there willing to help by teaching them, or steering them into the right direction, they may continue to be led into the wrong path.

Childhood Poverty in Mississippi

Poverty in Mississippi Mississippi is the state that has highest poverty and lowest income. First of all, what is poverty? Poverty is the lack of something, and for the people in Mississippi it is money. According to the federal poverty level for a family of four, you are poor if your income is below $22,350.

(Photo retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/interactive/news/economy/median-povertyincome/?iid=EL) Shown by the figure above Mississippi is the state with the highest poverty with a 22.6%. The percentage of seniors in poverty is 15%, women in poverty are 27%, and with the highest percentage of 35%, are children.

Childhood Poverty in Mississippi

Childhood Poverty The major contribution of children in poverty is children born to poor parents, meaning that when the child is born he or she is automatically poor because of the financial status of the parents. Teen pregnancy and an increased number of single mothers is also one of the major causes of poverty. According to UNICEF "children living in poverty are those who experience deprivation of the material, spiritual and emotional resources needed to survive, develop and thrive, leaving them unable to enjoy their rights, achieve their full potential or participate as full and equal members of society." Poverty affects children in many places such as home, in school, and in their communities. Poverty directly relates to negative conditions for example homelessness, food insecurity, improper child care, unsafe homes and neighborhoods, and schools that dont have a lot of resources or financial. The children are also in great risk for more negative outcomes such as poor academic achievement, dropping out of school, abuse and neglect, physical health problems, and developmental delays. Poverty greatly affects children in academic achievement. Children under chronic stress that is related to poverty have been shown to really affect the childrens concentration and memory that may impact their ability to learn in and out of school. Living in poverty, children are also at a higher risk of behavioral and emotional problems. Some problems include impulsiveness, trouble getting along with peers, aggression, ADHD, and conduct disorder. They also may have feelings of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Living in an

Childhood Poverty in Mississippi

unsafe neighborhood with a lot of violence can also affect the children to have a more violent behavior in the future, which may place them at a great risk of injury and mortality. Children in poverty may also be exposed to some physical health problems like low birth rate, poor nutrition, and chronic conditions like asthma, anemia and pneumonia. They may also be part of risky behaviors in their early teen life like smoking and early sexual activity.

Fighting childhood poverty Twelve of the twenty-five school districts with the largest rate of child poverty are in the south; four of those are in Mississippi. Education is the key factor for children to achieve their full potential. A lack of education contributes to undertrained and unprepared workforce that can ultimately lead to poverty and dependence. Save the Children information says that four year olds that are being affected by poverty are at least eighteen months behind other four year olds that are not being affected. Mississippis Attorney Generals Office partnered with Save the Children to change these childrens life while they are still young and in their learning stages. The Save the Children literacy program gives tools, and support that schools may need to help speed up the growth for readers that are struggling from kinder to sixth grade. The main thing for the program is the after school and summer literacy program. It is an hour long program that consists of activities that help support improved reading achievements. Also staff members work with the children during the school day to provide tutoring in

Childhood Poverty in Mississippi

phonics, sight word growth, vocabulary enhancement, and comprehension. The Mississippi Department of Education reported that approximately 14,079 high school students drop out of school annually. Nearly 78% of our public school fourth graders cannot read at grade level, and they are highly unlikely to ever catch up. 81% of public school kids that are in eight grade cannot read at grade level and 85% cannot do math at grade level. These numbers are astonishing and because of their lack of ability to read, do math, and many more elementary skills they may get discouraged to drop out of school which may lead to poverty. Education is the main path that will lead a lot of children out of poverty.

Conclusion Poverty is affecting millions of people every day here in the states, and Mississippi is the state being affected the most. A lot of poverty begins at birth and while they are children. Being well educated is one of the largest ways to prevent and help reduce poverty, because not only does poverty affect them but it also affects everyone else with a cost of $500 billion a year. Educating our nations youth is something that will be beneficial to everyone now and for the rest of our lives. With programs and the help of people we can help the children in Mississippi and most important of all, the world.

Childhood Poverty in Mississippi

Reference Lambert, L. (2012, October 21). 10 states with the highest poverty rates. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/21/poverty-rises-despite-endof-recession_n_1023946.html

Mississippi demographics of poor children. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nccp.org/profiles/MS_profile_7.html

Effects of poverty, hunger, and homelessness on children and youth. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty.aspx?item=2

Hood, J. (2012, February 3 3). Combating childhood poverty in Mississippi. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-hood/combatingchildhood-pover_b_1252385.html

Ostrow, N. (2013, October 21). Stress of childhood poverty may have long effect on brain. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-1021/stress-of-childhood-poverty-may-have-long-effect-on-brain.html Strauss, V. (n.d.). The cost of child poverty: $500 billion a year. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/07/25/thecost-of-child-poverty-500-billion-a-year/