Childhood Hunger

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Poverty: Seniors Climb Out While Kids Fall In

Summary:

USA Today has a piece about the generational gap in poverty. As seniors climb out of poverty, kids are falling on hard times.

February 16

Poverty: Seniors Climb Out While Kids Fall In

Publication: USA Today

Beth Mattingly, who researches family poverty at the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, says child poverty is spreading.”This seems to be a story of social policy,” she says. “Social Security and Medicare are keeping seniors out of poverty.” The same is not happening for children, she says, even though they benefit from programs and tax credits designed to help low-income families with children….”But it’s not about elderly vs. children,” says Olivia Golden, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. Instead, she says, it is important to see what can be learned from the lower poverty rates for seniors and apply it to reducing child poverty. Otherwise, the future looks bleak for this generation of poor children, researchers and advocates say. Poor children are more likely to suffer from health and emotional problems, mediocre educations and fewer job opportunities that will keep them in poverty, they say.

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