The Cost of Childhood Poverty

The epidemic of childhood poverty continues to stunt the development of children across America. Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children’s Defense Fund, recently detailed the moral and economic costs of childhood poverty in America.

Of the 45.3 million Americans living in poverty, one in three is a child. Children under five are the poorest age group. The mental, emotional and physical stress of growing up poor hinders critical brain development and puts poor children behind their peers even before kindergarten.

In the long run this leads to unemployment and economic hardship in adulthood, which in turn creates huge economic costs for our whole nation. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Read Marian Wright Edelman’s full commentary and watch the accompanying video to see why we have a moral obligation to fight childhood poverty.