2008 Reports

Who are America's Poor Children?: The Official Story

Fass, Sarah; Cauthen, Nancy K.

Over 13 million American children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, which is $21,200 a year for a family of four in 2008. The number of children living in poverty increased by 15 percent between 2000 and 2007. There are 1.7 million more children living in poverty today than in 2000. Not only are these numbers troubling, the official poverty measure tells only part of the story – it is widely viewed as a flawed metric of economic hardship (see box). Research consistently shows that, on average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level to make ends meet. Children living in families with incomes below this level – for 2008, $42,400 for a family of four – are referred to as low income. Thirty-nine percent of the nation’s children – more than 28 million in 2007 – live in low-income families. Nonetheless, official poverty statistics continue to be used by researchers, policymakers, and the media to define economic disadvantage. In addition, eligibility for many public benefits is based on the official poverty measure. This fact sheet details some of the characteristics of American children who are considered poor by the official standard.