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The resources provided below are designed to help guide policy discussions and best practices of child poverty reduction in the United States.

fact sheet: child poverty in 2023

Child poverty is on the rise in the United States. Our country’s recent upward child poverty trend is unacceptable when you consider that just over two years ago, amidst a global pandemic, we were able to enact policies that cut child poverty nearly in half.  We have the proven evidence as to what works, but too many of our lawmakers lack the political will to sustain this progress.

child investment research hub

Children make up approximately one-quarter of the U.S. population and all our nation’s future. Ample evidence confirms that investing in children results in near and long-term positive outcomes for them and the country’s overall economy, yet First Focus on Children’s annual Children’s Budget illustrates they historically have not received anywhere close to their fair share of government funds.

We have seen the game-changing, positive outcomes stemming from increased resources dedicated to children and families. Improvements made to the Child Tax Credit in the American Rescue Plan Act nearly cut the U.S. child poverty rate in half in 2021 and reduced racial economic disparities. .

The fight continues to reinstate improvements to the Child Tax Credit and increase overall investments for children. The evidence is on our side, and it is a critical tool in building the political will needed for lasting progress.

As a result, First Focus on Children created the Child Investment Research Hub, as a one-stop-shop where child advocates and decision-makers can access the full array of research available on the positive consequences of investing in our children.

We will be updating this resource as frequently as possible. Please send any feedback to Cara Baldari at carab@firstfocus.org letting us know how this hub can be most useful to your work or if you see any resources missing from this list.

Guide to Access State and District-Level Poverty Data

First Focus on Children created this guide for Congressional staffers and state and local advocates to help in accessing state and local child poverty government data.

toolkit for twitterstorm to #endchildpoverty on wednesday, september 20th at 2pm

Please join us and Children’s Defense Fund for a Twitterstorm on the need to mobilize to end child poverty on Wednesday, September 20th at 2pm EST. A social media toolkit is available through the link below.

Fact Sheet: Child Poverty in 2022

On September 12, 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau reported child poverty more than doubled in 2022, the largest one-year increase on record in the United States. This increase is largely due to the expiration of improvements to the Child Tax Credit

This new data once again confirms that child poverty is a policy choice — our past progress proves that we know how to combat it when there is the political will to act.

HHS Secretary Becerra: Please continue the work of the Children’s Interagency Coordinating Council

On September 8, 2023, 48 organizations sent a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to inquire about actions regarding the future of the Children’s Interagency Coordinating Council and to express our desire that the council’s work continues far into the future and that efforts are made to ultimately transform the council into a permanent entity at HHS.

updated letter to secretary becerra: please establish a children’s interagency coordinating council

On Thursday, February 23rd, over 90 organizations sent a follow up to this September 15th letter to urge HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to quickly establish a children’s interagency coordinating council housed in the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This letter also includes recommendations for steps that the council can take to ensure its efforts on behalf of children are cross-cutting and far reaching.

fact sheet: Child poverty in 2021

On September 13, 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the United States saw the lowest child poverty rate on record, with 5.2% of children (3.8 million) living below the poverty line in 2021. The United States also saw the lowest one-year drop in child poverty on record, a 46% decline since 2020. For the first time, children experienced lower poverty rates than adults.

This new data confirms that child poverty is a policy choice — we know how to address it, we just need the political will to act.

house Dear Colleague Letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris Urging for the Establishment of a National Child Poverty Reduction Target Through Executive Action

On November 9, 2022, 24 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris urging for the Administration to solidify their commitment made in the American Families Plan to address our nation’s high rate of child poverty and establish a national child poverty reduction target through executive action.

letter to hhs secretary Xavier becerra: please establish a children’s interagency coordinating council

Over 80 organizations sent a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on September 15th, 2022 asking him to establish an interagency coordinating council focused on children housed in the Office of the HHS Secretary. Such a council will create a permanent and ongoing mechanism to improve both domestic and international policymaking for children.

2022 LETTER TO CONGRESS: OVER 100 ORGANIZATIONS once again ASK CONGRESS TO SUPPORT THE CHILD POVERTY REDUCTION ACT AND SOLIDIFY THEIR COMMITMENT TO ENDING CHILD POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES

On March 14, 2022, the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group and First Focus Campaign for Children sent a letter signed by over 100 organizations to Members of Congress with a renewed ask to please pass the Child Poverty Reduction Act (S. 643/H.R. 1558). Here is a snippet:

“Our organizations remain committed to a swift and robust extension of these enhanced CTC payments to ensure that millions of children are not forced back into poverty.  The fact that these payments have yet to be extended, despite their documented effectiveness and popularity, means there remains a lack of adequate political will to keep child poverty reduction a priority in the United States. This is why we are calling on you to establish a national child poverty reduction target and solidify your commitment to ultimately ending child poverty in the United States.”

fact sheet: child poverty in the wake of covid-19

On September 14, 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau released national child poverty estimates for 2020, including both the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) and the Official Poverty Measure (OPM). 

This new data shows us that when we have the political will to act, we can reduce child poverty even during a pandemic. Despite the loss of income that many households with children experienced last year, child poverty decreased when considering the impact of stimulus and other assistance, including the first two rounds of Economic Impact Payments, expansions to Unemployment Insurance benefits, nutrition assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Pandemic-EBT program, and more. 

letter to congress: over 160 organizations support the child poverty reduction act

On March 10, the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group and First Focus Campaign for Children sent a letter to Congress signed by over 160 organizations in support of the Child Poverty Reduction Act (S. 643/H.R. 1558), which would codify a national target to cut child poverty in half in the United States within a decade, as well as direct the National Academy of Sciences to monitor and analyze progress towards the target.

letter to President Biden on a CHild Poverty Target

Members of the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group shared a letter with President Biden and Vice President Harris urging them to formalize their commitment to cutting child poverty by issuing an Executive Order to establish a national child poverty target.

letter to the biden-harris transition team

Members of the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group shared a letter with the new Biden-Harris Transition urging them to make child poverty reduction a top priority and plan to set a target to cut our national child poverty rate in half within a decade.

Letter to Congress: over 120 organizations support the child poverty reduction act

On November 19, 2020, the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group and First Focus Campaign for Children sent a letter to Congress signed by over 120 organizations in support of the Child Poverty Reduction Act (S. 4115/H.R. 7419), which would codify a national target to cut child poverty in half in the United States within a decade, as well as direct the National Academy of Sciences to monitor and analyze progress towards the target.

Young children in deep poverty: racial/ethnic disparities and child well-being compared to other income groups

The National Center for Children in Poverty at the Bank Street School of Education finds that nine percent of young children were living in deep poverty in 2019, with states ranging quite significantly in their deep child poverty rates. These numbers do not reflect the impact of COVID-19, which is causing more children to experience poverty in the United States. This report also includes a set of recommendations for increasing family income, and ensuring both immediate and long-term supports for children’s healthy development.

Evaluating 2019 Census Child Poverty Data in the Wake of COVID-19

On September 15th and 17th, 2020 the U.S. Census Bureau released national and state-level poverty estimates from 2019. However, these estimates did not adequately capture our present-day realities due to the impact of COVID-19. The pandemic has not only disrupted the everyday lives of children and families, but also exposed and exacerbated the extreme racial, income, and wealth disparities in our nation. There is a glaring disconnect between federal poverty estimates and the real experience and extent of economic hardship in America. Moreover, the Census Bureau’s data lacks timeliness, is not statistically relevant, and does not accurately estimate the income needed for children and families to meet their basic needs. While the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey has provided some insight and information on changes in child well-being since the pandemic hit, the survey ends in October 2020 and fails to capture data on poverty.

national academy of sciences study on Child poverty: A ROADMAP to Reducing Child Poverty

Released in February 2019, this landmark consensus study on child poverty confirms that child poverty is a solvable problem when there is the political will to address it. Written by a committee of the nation’s leading experts, A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty puts forward an evidence-based policy agenda that, if prioritized and implemented by our nation’s lawmakers, would cut our child poverty rate in half within a decade. The End Child Poverty US campaign has put together a series of resources analyzing this 600 page study:

First Focus on Children Comments on Considerations for Additional Measures of Poverty

To prove meaningful, any adjusted or alternative poverty measure must capture all families without sufficient resources to prevent their children from experiencing hardship and its associated harms. Modifying the SPM without raising existing thresholds and adopting a consumption measure will only further underestimate child need and downplay the extent of economic instability facing America’s families. Accordingly, we urge the Working Group to consult with leading researchers and explore ways to improve poverty measures to include all children whose economic circumstances jeopardize their health, safety and development. 

No child in the world’s wealthiest nation should go to bed hungry or be deprived of clean air or be without the opportunities that come from having a safe, affordable place to call home.

TESTIMONY before Ways & Means Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support: “combatting child poverty” — The Time to act is now

We were pleased to see bipartisan consensus expressed during the hearing that we all have an obligation to ensure that no child in the United States should be living in poverty, and we see this as a critical time for Congress to act on that obligation. There is momentum to address child poverty in the U.S. – Congress has now held three separate committees hearings on child poverty in the past six weeks, all which have highlighted that while child poverty is a critical problem in our country, we know how to address it. These hearings have detailed findings from the 2019 landmark National Academy of Sciences study, A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty, which models a set of evidence-based policy and program changes, that if implemented, would cut our child poverty rate in half within a decade.

fact sheet: a snapshot of children living in poverty in 2018

According to the Census Bureau’s Official Poverty Measure (OPM), 16.2 percent of children (11.9 million) were living in poverty in 2018. The official poverty line for a family of four with two children is $25,465 per year. The new figure represents a 1.2 percent decrease from 2017. While this small decrease in the child poverty rate is encouraging (representing nearly a million children lifted out of poverty), we know that children still have a 54.4 percent higher chance of living in poverty than adults and that the United States continues to have a significantly higher rate of child poverty than most of our peer countries.

sign this statement in support of a national target to cut child poverty in half within a decade

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau tells us that while the U.S. child poverty rate saw a slight decrease in 2018, nearly 12 million children are still living in poverty, and children still have a 54.4 percent higher chance of living in poverty than adults. Child poverty is solvable when there is the political will to address it. Domestic and international anti-poverty initiatives demonstrate that we can successfully reduce child poverty. For example, the United Kingdom cut child poverty in half between 2000 and 2010 through a national commitment and coordinated strategy. The federal government should learn from effective policies and practices practiced abroad and in our nation to establish a bold target to cut child poverty in half within a decade and eliminate it within 20 years. Setting a target would provide advocates, the media and other stakeholders with a tool to hold our lawmakers accountable for reducing child poverty. An effective national strategy to meet this target must include marginalized populations and communities in its design and implementation.

Social Media Toolkit for Twitterstorm to #EndChildPoverty on Tuesday, September 24 at 2pm EST

The End Child Poverty Campaign will hold a Twitterstorm, Tuesday, September 24th at 2pm EST to highlight the new Census data and discuss ways we can take collective action to end child poverty in the U.S. We encourage you to use our toolkit retweet, like and share your own messages using the hashtag #EndChildPoverty.

Comment on the Consumer Inflation Measures Produced by Federal Statistical Agencies

Members of the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group, a partnership of national organizations dedicated to cutting the U.S. child poverty rate in half within a decade wrote in strong opposition to the proposal to calculate a new poverty threshold that would underestimate the number of children living in poverty and result in millions of children losing access to resources that support their healthy child development.

Implementing A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a landmark study, A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty, which confirms that child poverty is a solvable problem when there is the political will to address it. Written by a committee of the nation’s leading experts on child poverty, this study puts forward an evidence-based policy agenda that, if prioritized and implemented by our nation’s lawmakers, would cut our child poverty rate in half within a decade. 

First Focus Campaign for Children put together this analysis of the nearly 600-page study to a) highlight the findings and policy options that we find most compelling, b) provide commentary on how its policy and program options line up with current legislative efforts and c) add contextual factors to consider for effective implementation of these policy options. 

Top Takeaways: A Roadmap To Reducing Child Poverty

On February 28, 2019, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine released a consensus study, A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty, which has been described as “the most important report on child poverty in years.”

Fact Sheet: A Snapshot of Children Living in Poverty: 2017

Despite steady economic growth and low unemployment rates, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that 17.5 percent (12.8 million) of children in the U.S. were living in poverty in 2017, and there was not a statistically significant decrease from 2016. To provide some context, the official poverty line for a family of four with two children is $24,858 a year. First Focus prepared a fact sheet to fully analyze the ramifications of this data.

Comments in Response to Proposed Rulemaking: Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds

Several members of the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group submitted public comments in strong opposition to the proposed rule regarding public charge determinations as published in the Federal Register.

#EndChildPoverty Tweetstorm Social Media Toolkit

The U.S. Child Poverty Action Group will hold a tweetstorm on Thursday, September 20 at 2 p.m. EDT, to discuss the data, policy solutions to fight and end child poverty, and invite others to join in this campaign. Retweet, like, and share your own message to participate. 

COMMENTS: Regarding ACF’s CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY EXPERIENCES STUDY

Some members of CPAG submitted these comments to the Office of Management and Budget on the Administration for Children and Families’ Childhood and Family Experiences Study in response to the Federal Register Notice filed on July 24, 2018.

While we are supportive of additional data collection to inform policymaking around the experience of families receiving public benefits, we have significant concerns about the methodology of this survey.

Letter to Congress: STRENGTHEN TANF in the Joining Opportunity with Benefits and Services (JOBS) for Success Act

Excerpt: "As members of the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group, a partnership of child-focused organizations dedicated to reducing child poverty in the U.S., we are writing to urging you to strengthen the ability of the Joining Opportunity with Benefits and Services (JOBS) for Success Act (H.R. 5861) to reduce child poverty in the U.S. by amending the bill to include a national goal of cutting child poverty in half within a decade and eliminating it within 20 years."

OUR KIDS, OUR FUTURE: SOLUTIONS TO CHILD POVERTY In the U.S.

Child poverty remains high in the U.S., with nearly 1 in 5 children living in households below the poverty line.  A new publication from the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group provides a robust, cross-sector analysis on the policies needed to significantly reduce child poverty in the U.S. 

OUR KIDS, OUR FUTURE - SOCIAL MEDIA KIT

Child poverty in the U.S. remains high, with children experiencing poverty at a rate that is 62 percent higher than adults.  Members of the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group drafted Our Kids, Our Future: Solutions to Child Poverty in the U.S. Use this kit to help promote the policy solutions that can #ValueOurKids.

STATEMENT: Proposals to Limit Household Access to Effective Anti-poverty Programs Would Only Make It Worse

The U.S. Child Poverty Action Group, a coalition of child-focused organizations dedicated to reducing child poverty in the U.S., is very concerned by recent proposals from Congress and the Administration to weaken public assistance programs by imposing cuts, employment documentation requirements, irrational time limits, and other unnecessary government bureaucratic barriers. These actions are often being proposed in the name of promoting family economic security, but will have the opposite effect by weakening the effectiveness of these programs in reducing child poverty.  

FACT SHEETS: BASIC FACTS ABOUT LOW-INCOME CHILDREN – UPDATED

Among all children under 18 years in the U.S., 41 percent live in low-income families and 19 percent—approximately one in five—lives in a poor family. This means that children are overrepresented among our nation’s poor; they represent 23 percent of the population but comprise 32 percent of all people in poverty.

The National Center for Children in Poverty, located within the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, released two fact sheets detailing basic facts about low-income children 

Principles and Red Lines for Child Tax Credit Expansion

In March 2017, members of the Tax Working Group for the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) released the report Family Tax Policy: A Path Forward to Lifting Children out of Poverty which offers lawmakers a blueprint for using tax reform to improve the standard of living for children in the United States.

At a time when nearly half the nation’s children – and more than three in five children of color – live in poor or low-income households, the paper is both a stirring call to action and a roadmap to help Congress use tax reform to address this problem, which stifles America’s growth and prosperity.

As the debate on the expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) continues to grow, we have expanded on our recommendations in the CPAG report and as well as outlined red lines that may not be crossed regardless of the ultimate policy.

The Tax Working Group members who contributed to this document are:

• First Focus

• MomsRising

• NAEYC

• Save the Children Action Network

• Century Foundation

A Snapshot of children living in poverty: 2016

Data from 2016 released this month indicated positive news for children, with the national child poverty rate dropping from 19.7 percent in 2015 to 18 percent in 2016, resulting in 1.3 million less children living in poverty. (The official poverty line for a family of four with two children is $24,339).

Yet we know we can do better. Children experience poverty at a rate that is 62.5 percent higher than adults. They make up 23 percent of the U.S. population, but account for 33 percent of the population living in poverty. But these numbers don’t tell the whole story.

LETTER TO CONGRESS: NEW CENSUS POVERTY DATA

On September 12, 2017 the U.S. Child Poverty Coalition submitted a letter to Congress highlighting new child poverty data from the U.S. Census Bureau. 

The data found that 8.2% of children are living in extreme poverty – that's more than 6 million children. While some of the rates have declined since the prior year, CPAG highlights the need for critical programs that will continue to lift children and families out of poverty

TOOLKIT: CHILD POVERTY COALITION

Despite known, proven solutions for child poverty, children continue to disproportionately experience poverty in the U.S.  As part of our campaign to cut child poverty in half within a decade, members of the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group created a messaging narrative and corresponding action toolkit as a resource for advocates working to reduce child poverty on the federal, state and local levels. This narrative emphasizes that everyone- regardless of socioeconomic status–benefits from strategies that lift children out of poverty, and that solutions to child poverty are tied to economic gains that result in a strong and educated workforce. It cites extensive data showing the strong return on investment for our economy when we reduce child poverty.

The corresponding action toolkit includes:

• a core message narrative

• sample blog posts

• sample tweets and Facebook posts

• infographics

SUBMITTED FOR COMMENT: National prevention Science Coalition input on National Academy of Sciences information Gathering session on child poverty

The National Science Prevention Coalition, a member of CPAG, has submitted comments for the National Academy of Sciences information gathering session on child poverty. Using their expertise in evidence-based approached, they have offered their comments on how to approach setting an agenda for cutting the child poverty rate in half in the most effective way possible.

SUBMITTED FOR COMMENT: Save the Children ACTION NETWORK input on National Academy of Sciences information Gathering session on child poverty

Save the Children Action Network, a member of the Child Poverty Action Group, has submitted comments for the National Academy of Sciences information gathering session on child poverty. The Academy's goal to build an agenda that cuts child poverty in half in ten years supports CPAG's efforts to establish a child poverty target. 

SUBMITTED FOR COMMENT: First Focus input on National Academy of Sciences Information Gathering Session on Child Poverty

In preparation for the National Academy of Sciences information gathering session on their child poverty study, “Building an Agenda to Reduce the Number of Children in Poverty by Half in 10 Years,” First Focus submitted commentary on the state of child poverty in the United States. 

First Focus lobbied Congress to fund this study in the 2016 omnibus and supported the efforts of Congresswoman Lee and Congresswoman Roybal-Allard in championing this study. 

Event: Committee on Building an Agenda to Reduce the Number of Children in Poverty by Half in 10 Years

WHITE PAPER: Family Tax policy

On March 14, 2017 the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group released Family Tax Policy: A Path Forward to Lifting Children out of Poverty.

The 30-page report offers lawmakers a blueprint for using tax reform to improve the standard of living for children in the United States.

At a time when nearly half the nation’s children – and more than three in five children of color – live in poor or low-income households, the paper is both a stirring call to action and a roadmap to help Congress use tax reform to address this problem, which stifles America’s growth and prosperity.

LETTER: RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE NEW PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION TO SET CHILD POVERTY TARGET IN 2017

Members of the Child Poverty Action Group outline key policy solutions that support families and children to lift them out of poverty. 

This letter was submitted to President-elect Donald Trump's transition team in December 2016.

Presentation: Child poverty Action Group UK

Alison Garham from CPAG UK gave a presentation around the current state of child advocacy efforts to end child poverty in the UK, legacy of the Child Poverty Target, and what the United States can learn from their success. 

FaCT SHEET: 2015 Data for CHILDREN in poverty

On 2015 saw some positive news for children, with the national child poverty rate dropping from 21.1 percent in 2014 to 19.7 percent in 2015, resulting in 1 million less children living in poverty. (The official poverty line for a family of four with two children in $24,036). 

Yet we know we can do better. Children are still 69 percent more likely to live in poverty than adults. They make up 23.1 percent of the U.S. population, but account for 33.6 percent of the population living in poverty. 

Cara Baldari from First Focus, a member of the Child Poverty Action Group, breaks down the numbers and what it means for kids going forward. 

REport: A look back at the Uk child poverty target

Released with the Centre for Economic & Social InclusionUS and authored by Natalie Branosky and Jane Mansour, this report is a 14-year retrospective on the UK’s Child Poverty Target, which builds on a UK study visit and comparative studies carried out by First Focus over the past five years.

With a new legislative agenda for 2015, Congress has a fresh opportunity to address child poverty and inequality through cooperative, bipartisan means. The UK’s Child Poverty Target is an example of a long-term policy goal, from a country that is an excellent international comparator for the United States given similarities in poverty levels, parliamentary process, policy development, and overall economic performance.

Analysis: Speaker Ryan's POverty Agenda

On June 7, 2016, Speaker Paul Ryan released A Better Way: Our Vision for a Confident America, an agenda to address poverty in America put together by House Republicans’ Task Force on Poverty, Opportunity and Upward Mobility.

While First Focus welcomes the release of a plan as part of the national discourse on the root causes of poverty in the U.S., we are disappointed that much of the report is misleading in its analysis of the effect that safety net programs have on reducing poverty for children, as well as falling short to put forth a strategy focused on children.

fact Sheet: Black Children matter

We have a long way to go in dismantling the legacy of racism. Nowhere is that more evident than in the recent poverty statistics for African American children, which show that, at 37 percent, black childhood poverty remains among the highest of any group.

Black Children Matter: Targeting policies to reduce poverty among African American children and children of color outlines key child poverty statistics, the impact of concentrated poverty, profiles of high poverty communities, and policy solutions.