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Taylor 1 Deborah Taylor Professor Megan Keaton ENG.

111-11 10 July 2013 Poverty in the US Frequently Asked Questions The poverty rate in the US, the good old melting pot of the world, is disproportionate in numbers. The US determines the official poverty rate yearly by utilizing the Census Bureau. National Poverty Center is researching causes for the rise in poverty in the US. According to the NPC, the poverty rate in single family households headed by females is significantly higher than the overall poverty rate (2). This means that children in the US will continue to suffer from poverty in these single parent households. The National Poverty Center argues that blacks and Hispanics make up most of the national average of poverty in the US (2). In the new millennium, twenty seven percent of blacks and twenty six percent of blacks were considered as poor (NPC 2). Also according to the National Poverty Center, NonHispanic whites made up almost ten percent of the poor and Asians made up twelve percent of the poor in 2010 (NPC 2). Although the Census Bureau shows poverty at an all-time high, the elderly poverty rate has dropped drastically. Childrens poverty rate is higher than the overall poverty rate. Non-traditional households are a major contributor to this issue (2) The National Poverty Center states that children are a disproportionate share of the poor of Americans, they are twenty four percent of the population, but thirty six percent of the poor population (2). Poverty rates vary by race. Poverty rates are enormously high for families headed, especially if the female is black or Hispanic.

Taylor 2 The Census Bureau has created a selection of experimental poverty measurements defining income and alternatives methods to establish the lines of inflation since the 1970s (3). Household subsidies such as food stamps and Medicaid are compartmentalized in the statistics for the poverty levels. These public assistant tools are excluded in the calculations of families living in poverty (3). The majority of families living in poverty are classified as the working poor (US Dept. of Labor Statistics 3). There are so many resources for children who need assistance in the US, but they are sometimes not accessed by their parents or guardian due to barely living above income requirements, or sometimes the embarrassment of coming forward to ask for this much needed help. Some of the available worldwide resources for children living below the poverty line are public assistance government centers who supply Medicaid, medical assistance, and food vouchers for the needed household. Campaign talks and awareness for local events to raise assistance for families are one of the successful tools that brings awareness to the community about the need for the children and families living in poverty. Petitioning your local government officials to bring attention to the need of these families is also a resourceful tool in this great need of helping poverty stricken children and their families. Educating the parents and their children is a successful method in preventing poverty in families. The reassurance of a good education will aid in these families to improve their households ability to provide a stable income as well as moral for the poor families. Basic essentials need to be met such as food, clothing and shelter for children living in poverty to function in todays society. If these needs are not met, children cannot be functional in school. Parents who have not finished high school should receive their GED through community college networks in their local towns and cities.

Taylor 3 There is not a cost attached to parents who meet income requirements, (poverty level), to take GED classes in their local districts in the US. There are so many myths and misunderstandings that plague those living in the US in poverty. Some of these myths are; in the US, poor families are living ok, while in reality, the US is among one of the wealthiest countries, but is one of the statistical lowest when it comes to caring for its children living in poverty (UNICEF, 2010)(2). A second myth is America has no starving individuals with the obvious reality of Households that are considered as food insecure, are 1 in 6, which means that families lack money, food, miss meals, and seek out public assistance every month for survival (US Dept. of Agriculture, 2012) (2). A third and final myth about poverty is that all children have equal opportunity for a successful education. The reality is most children living in poverty have ongoing problems in school or dropout. Over twenty two percent of poor children do not graduate from high school, compared to the six percent of children who have never been poor. (Childrens Defense Fund, 2010: Anne E. Casey Foundation, 2012) (2). The Associated Press has done surveys on economists, think tanks, nonpartisan and liberal groups to come to a conclusion of the poverty rate: Regardless of the past numbers, poverty has increased at an alarming rate over the last fifty years (2). Underemployed workers and Suburban households are all seeing poverty within their ranks. Florida, Colorado and Nevada suburbs are seeing poverty with families living hand to mouth (Yen 2). Laura Fritz of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, states that, after traveling to Hawaii every summer, she is now applying for government assistance to make ends meat (Yen 2).

Taylor 4 Peter Edelman, the director of Georgetown Center on Poverty, also states that, The issues arent just public benefits, we have some deep problems in the economy (Yen 2). The recession is partially to blame but the long term effects of outsourcing, immigration, and lessened unionization has made household incomes at an all-time low. Public assistant programs such as Medicaid and welfare were created in the sixties as a stepping stone, but they are now a milestone for many Americans survival (2). Poverty has close ties to joblessness in the US. Although the employment rate has improved, the ratio of employed-to-population has not foreseen change (2). Demographers have stated these facts about poverty in the US: -Suburban poverty is already at record levels and increasing daily. -Poverty for the underemployed will rise to a new high. -Child poverty sees dramatic increases because of unemployed family household (Yen 2). Most Americans do not agree with cuts to anti-poverty programs. Over seventy percent of Americans think that the gap between rich and poor people has grown (4). New Censuses measure non cash aid in the US, and the numbers are enormous. If food stamps and tax credits were taken into account for an income, there would be many poor Americans living above the poverty line (3-4). Voting for a candidate that cares about poverty stricken families is very significant because the candidate of choice have a tremendous impact on the economy. Cuban born resident, Jose Gorrin, states that he left Cuba in order to earn a decent living here in the US. I hope things turn around, I already left Cuba. I dont know where else I can go (Yen 3). If the US does not come up with a solution to the growing poverty rate, there will be someone in a family that we may be related to, or know on a personal or professional level to suffer from this growing epidemic.

Taylor 5 Works Cited

National Poverty Center. Poverty in the US- Frequently Asked Questions http://npc.umich.edu. National Poverty Center, N.P. Web. Jun 26, 2013

World Vision US Programs. US Poverty Myths. http://www.worldvisionusprograms.org. World Vision US Programs, 2013. Web. Jun 26, 2013

Yen, Hope. The Big Story- US poverty on track to rise to highest since 1960s http://bigstory.ap.org. AP, 2013. Web. Jun 26, 2013

2013 Associated Press Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report. Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov National Assoc. of State Budget Officers

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There are so many resources for children who need assistance in the US, but they are sometimes not accessed by their parents or guardian due to barely living above income requirements, or sometimes the embarrassment of coming forward to ask for this much needed help. Some of the available worldwide resources for children living below the poverty line are public assistance government centers who supply Medicaid, medical assistance, and food vouchers for the needed household. Campaign talks and awareness for local events to raise assistance for families are one of the successful tools that brings awareness to the community about the need for the children and families living in poverty. Petitioning your local government officials to bring attention to the need of these families is also a resourceful tool in this great need of helping poverty stricken children and their families. Educating the parents and their children is a successful method in preventing poverty in families. The reassurance of a good education will aid in these families to improve their households ability to provide a stable income as well as moral for the poor families. Basic essentials need to be met such as food, clothing and shelter for children living in poverty to function in todays society. If these needs are not met, children cannot be functional in school. Parents who have not finished high school should receive their GED through community

Taylor 9 college networks in their local towns and cities. There is not a cost attached to parents who meet income requirements, (poverty level), to take GED classes in their local districts in the US. When you think about it, the above mentioned basic needs for survival in todays world is a need for all families, poor or not.

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