Escape from Poverty: What Makes a Difference for Children?

The poverty rate for children in the United States exceeds that of all other Western, industrialized nations except Australia. Moreover, poverty among children has increased substantially since 1970, affecting more than one-fifth of U.S. children. These persistently high rates require new ideas in both research and public policy. Escape from Poverty presents such ideas. Contributors address four modes of possible change: mothers’ employment, child care, father involvement, and access to health care. It examines the implications of these new policy-driven changes for children.