Helping Those Who Need It Most
A study published in June by the Urban Institute ("Childhood Poverty Persistence: Facts and Consequences") reports that children who are born into poverty have a significantly higher chance of remaining in poverty throughout their childhoods.
From the summary:
“In general, the longer a child is poor, the worse his or her adult outcomes. Only 1 percent of never-poor children spend half their early adult years living in poverty, compared with 32 percent of persistently poor children. The likelihood that an individual drops out of high school, has a teen nonmarital birth, or has a spotty work record generally increases with the number of years poor as a child.” (Read more of the summary)
However, projects such as the famous HighScope Perry Preschool Program show that early education can make a life-long difference to children.
Libraries can partner with preschools and other organizations to help provide resources and support to families who need it most.
Who are your partners in your community? How does your library support low-income families? Sharing ideas will help us all reach more children in need!