As in any other playoff, candidate rhetoric let loose during the U.S. presidential race can be tough. We’ve held a front row seat to the 2012 showdown for over a year, with tensions still rising as the general election looms nearer. Some of the barbs launched along the campaign trail have been laughable: Newt Gingrich’s television ad incriminating Mitt Romney for his ability to speak French comes to mind. Others are not. The dialogue surrounding U.S. poverty and inequality, two issues that are hotter than ever during a deep recession that the nation has shown incapable of simply shaking off [...]
Children
Missouri may slash funding for children’s services
Missouri lawmakers propose to cut funding from the state foster care budget and child-care subsidies for low-income families, as well as eliminate dozens of child protection jobs. Opponents claim that working families may have to sacrifice jobs and resort to welfare for survival. Moreover, the recent surge of children into foster care combined with... »
Maternal-Related Predictors of Self-Regulation Among Low-Income Youth
The association between self-regulation and various adaptive outcomes is a topic of growing interest, yet there is little research on predictors of self-regulation in children. This study examined whether maternal characteristics, namely the mother’s mental health, substance abuse, parenting practices, and child monitoring predicted self-regulation in children. Participants were a culturally diverse group of... »
Childhood Trauma and Adult Self-Reported Depression
This study addresses Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) within the context of self-reported depression among low-income ethnic minorities in urban settings. ACEs are plentiful in society, but their consequences are rarely addressed, particularly their impact on mental wellness. Findings highlight the importance of research on the prevalence of multiple types of childhood maltreatment, particularly in... »
Alabama’s national ranking for child poverty worsens
Poverty throughout the South has been trending upward, and the problem is especially acute in Alabama. As of 2010 Alabama had the country’s fourth-highest childhood poverty rate, a decline from 8th highest five years before. This downward slide is especially troubling given Alabama’s weak education system, since poor children generally start school less prepared... »
One million Texas children still lack health insurance
More than 1 million Texas children remain uninsured, state and federal data show. As a result, many of them will use hospital emergency rooms as their primary source of care, rather than doctors who know their medical history. Many qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but often their parents are unaware of... »
Demand rising for Salvation Army youth programs
Salvation Army youth programs have seen increased demand from children and families in the past year, a recent survey finds. Meanwhile, like many charities, the organization has been forced by funding cuts to scale back its services. Although 56 percent of the Salvation Army’s youth programs are operating at or beyond capacity, 41 percent have... »
Childhood poverty rises in Vermont schools
The Vermont Department of Education found that the number of students on free and reduced lunches has risen over 2 percent in the last year. School administrators express concerns over the resulting strains placed on schools and children, since child poverty is frequently linked to lower test scores, poor health, and diminished brain development. »
Failed Adoptions Create More Homeless Youths
Lamar West has lost his parents twice during his life, first when he was 4, then again just before his 18th birthday. This article details the young man’s life and how the adoption system has left more teens homeless when adoptions “fail.” »
Childhood poverty: A health crisis
More than one in five children in the United States is poor, an 18 percent increase since 2000. Children who grow up in poverty experience dramatic setbacks in health, development and education, and these early disadvantages resonate into their adult lives, often with devastating results. In particular, poor children often suffer a plethora of... »
The Role of Childhood Neglect and Childhood Poverty in Predicting Mental Health, Academic Achievement and Crime in Adulthood
This is an examination of the value of childhood neglect and childhood poverty in predicting Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), academic achievement, and crime in young adulthood. The study found childhood neglect and childhood family poverty uniquely predicted PTSD and adult arrest, while MDD was affected only by childhood family poverty.... »