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How Does Poverty Affects Minority Children

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Psychologically, these children tend to grow up with feelings of shame and low self esteem. Some of the children will develop apathy toward continuing their education, a feeling of hopelessness and a denial that things will ever change for them. They will suffer depression and anxiety at a higher rate than that of their cohorts and they will see themselves stuck in a cycle of poverty of which there is no escape. Severe poverty is causally linked to mental illness (Berliner, 2013). Socially, these children suffer too. Poor children are typically rated by their teachers as having a higher rate of behavioral problems than their peers. This is reflected in instances of externalizing their frustrations. They are more aggressive and act out more …show more content…
However, poverty affects minority children more commonly than white children (Delpit, 2012). It occurs in urban and rural areas more frequently than in suburban neighborhoods. Children whose parents grew up in poverty or did not complete high school are more likely to live in poverty. Children who grow up in single parent households are likely to be impoverished. In fact, 31% of families headed by a single female will live in poverty, versus just 6% of families headed by married couples (Baker &Coley, 2013 p.13). Children of the mentally ill, children of the physically handicapped, and immigrant children are all more likely to experience food insecurity and poverty. Children whose parents suffer from addiction are also more likely to be …show more content…
In this country, we have a progressive income tax, with poor families paying very little, if anything to the national and state governments in taxes. There are federal welfare programs, Medicaid health coverage, unemployment benefits, and food assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC). Families with children can claim a tax credit and are usually eligible for an earned income tax credit (EITC). Berliner (2013) notes that “Well over 20 million families use the EITC and, through it, over 5 million people have been lifted out of the poverty category”. (p. 208) Perkins loans and Pell grants can help defray continuing education costs. Rent and housing assistance may be available in some cases. Some larger communities provide food pantry services to their population. These services are typically available to anyone, regardless of income level. The Urbandale food pantry is one of these services. It receives donations from area businesses and religious organizations in order to serve the people of Urbandale. The number of families serviced by this food pantry has tripled within the last six years. They frequently run out of food or send people home with less than what they are allotted per visit. There are a multitude of programs available to

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