Experiencing poverty during childhood can lead to lasting harmful effects that compromise not only children's health and welfare but can also hinder future opportunities for economic mobility, which may be passed on to future generations. This cycle of economic disadvantage weighs heavily not only on children and families experiencing poverty but also the nation, reducing overall economic output and placing increased burden on the educational, criminal justice, and health care systems.

Reducing Intergenerational Poverty examines key drivers of long- term, intergenerational poverty, including the racial disparities and structural factors that contribute to this cycle. The report assesses existing research on the effects on intergenerational poverty of income assistance, education, health, and other intervention programs and identifies evidence-based programs and policies that have the potential to significantly reduce the effects of the key drivers of intergenerational poverty. The report also examines the disproportionate effect of disadvantage to different racial/ethnic groups. In addition, the report identifies high-priority gaps in the data and research needed to help develop effective policies for reducing intergenerational poverty in the United States.

Table of Contents

Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 A Demographic Portrait of Intergenerational Child Poverty 3 Racial Disparities in Intergenerational Poverty 4 Children's Education 5 Child and Maternal Health 6 Children's Family Income, Wealth, and Parental Employment 7 Children's Family Structure 8 Children's Housing and Neighborhood Environments 9 Neighborhood Crime and the Criminal Justice System 10 Child Maltreatment 11 Research and Data Needs for Understanding and Ameliorating Intergenerational Poverty Appendix A: Biosketches Appendix B: Perspectives on Intergenerational Poverty Appendix C: Appendices to Chapters References