1. 1.

Low-Income Households 1 Low-Income Households: How it Effects Child Development

Amy Norman CD1100 GPRC
2. 2. Low-Income Households 2 Low-Income Households: How it Effects Child Development
“One in seven Canadian children — or 967,000 — live in a low-income household”
(Monsebraaten L, 2013). This number is extremely high and continues to increase. “For all
children to have a strong foundation, they need better access to quality early care and
education, and coordinated health care and support services for their families” (McCarthy P,
2013). These needs are hard to obtain for a low-income family; research shows coming from
a low-income household can have a negative effect on child development, the services and
programs available for low-income households and the importance of care providers when it
comes to children of low-income households. “Less than one in five third-graders from low-
income families score at or above the national average in math, reading and science
assessments, and only about half maintain a healthy weight and are in “excellent” or “very
good” health”(Chandler MA, 2013). Children born into low-income households are not only
negatively affected cognitively and physically but also emotionally and socially. McCarthy
(2013) states “All children need nurturing and plentiful opportunities to develop during their
crucial first eight years”, which is hard to provide when struggling with low-income.
Cognitively a child could be affected by low-income households from not being able to afford
high quality daycare with well qualified staff in ratio, and safe and developmentally
appropriate materials. Having a low-income can make it hard to afford a place big enough or
by a park for a child to be active, also, it makes it hard to afford healthy food, if even enough
food which will affect the child’s physical development. Emotional development is affected by
low-income because the parent(s) need to work longer hours or have two jobs so they don’t
have time for close
3. 3. Low-Income Households 3 needed interactions with their children, leaving their children
feeling abandoned. Low- income also causes increased levels of stress for parents and
usually causes arguments and fighting between them which can be emotionally hard for the
children if noticed. Not having the money to afford new things for their children or have the
time to make play dates and have the children’s friends over can affect social development.
There are a few services and programs available to help minimize the severity of low-income
affecting child development. One of them is joining a Head Start program: “The objectives of
this program are: to improve the child’s health; aid the child’s intellectual, social, and
emotional development; improve and expand the child’s ability for self-expression; and help
both the enrollees and their families gain greater confidence and self-respect, and dignity”.
(Coastal Plain Area EOA, Inc, 2014) There are also government programs and services such
as The Alberta Child Health Benefit Plan, The Child Care Subsidy Program, and The Kin
Child Care Funding Program. “The Alberta Child Health Benefit Plan helps low-income
Albertans manage their children’s health care bills by providing free eyeglasses,
prescriptions, and dental visits. The Child Care Subsidy Program helps eligible low- and
middle-income families with the cost of licensed or approved out-of-school child care. The
Kin Child Care Funding Program helps low- and middle-income families pay non-custodial
relatives to care for their children.”(Alberta Committee of citizens with disabilities, 2014)
These are all great services but sadly the reality is that they are not enough to get families
passed the low-income status.
4. 4. Low-Income Households 4 “It's estimated that lower-income children enter kindergarten
12 to 18 months behind the average child” (Shand M, 2014). This can be and should be
mediated by parents, teachers, and daycare workers: in other words, all caregivers. First of
all, caregivers need to understand the seriousness and importance of the negative effects
coming from a low- income household can have on a child. They need to be educated on the
services and help that are available for low-income families so they can direct the families to
them. It is important for the caregivers to provide responsive and nurturing support for these
children and have patience when dealing with behavioral issues. Extra one-on-one time with
the child may be beneficial to ensure a healthy relationship is formed, provide extra healthy
 snacks to these children if they show they are hungry, plan programs so there is lots of time
for active play indoors and outdoors, and have extra indoor and outdoor clothing available for
these children. Even with the knowledge of low-income households affecting children’s
development negatively, the services available for low-income households and quality care
providers who understand the needs of children from low-income households, this issue isn’t
getting resolved. McCarthy (2013) states “today’s complicated world can strain families’
ability to ensure their children are receiving all the stimulation and care they need to develop
to their full potential”. Part of this complicated world is explained by Ines Garcia, 48, who has
lived in poverty with her four children for 25 years. She says “I’m grateful for the government
help, it’s just that they make it so difficult to get ahead. Every little improvement here gets
wiped out by money they take away somewhere else” (Ines G, 2013). In some cases the
parents need to be told that their child shouldn’t have to sacrifice
5. 5. Low-Income Households 5 so that they can have the life they want, they should make
sacrifices so their child can have the life that it deserves. In most cases the reality is that the
expense of living these days is expensive and the parents are doing the best they can with
what they have. It’s up to the government to provide families of low-income with as much
funding as possible and caregivers to provide the best care possible for children of low-
income families so their development isn’t affected as negatively as it could be.
6. 6. Low-Income Households 6 References Alberta Committee of citizens with disabilities.
(2014). Government Programs & Services. Retrieved February 17, 2014 from
http://www.accd.net/online- resources/government-programs-services Chandler MA. (2013).
Children from poor families lag in cognitive development and other areas. Retrieved
February 18, 2014, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/children- from-poor-
families-lag-in- cognitive-development-and-other-areas-report- says/2013/11/03/40e5c3e4-
43f4-11e3- a751-f032898f2dbc_story.html Coastal Plain Area EOA Inc. (2014). Head Start.
Retrieved February 17, 2014 from http://www.coastalplain.org/head-start-home Ines G.
(2013). ). Child poverty rates in Canada, Ontario remain high. Retrieved February 17, 2014
from http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/25/child_poverty_rates_in_canada_on
tario_remain_high.html McCarthy P. (2013). Children from poor families lag in cognitive
development and other areas. Retrieved February 18, 2014, from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/children-from-poor-families-lag-in- cognitive-
development-and-other-areas-report- says/2013/11/03/40e5c3e4-43f4-11e3- a751-
f032898f2dbc_story.html
7. 7. Low-Income Households 7 Monsebraaten L.(2013). Child poverty rates in Canada,
Ontario remain high. Retrieved February 17, 2014 from
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/25/child_poverty_rates_in_canada_on
tario_remain_high.html Shand M. (2014). Early Learning Program Helps Low-Income Kids,
Caregivers Succeed. Retrieved February 18, 2014, from
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2014-01-22/childrens-issues/early- learning- program-
helps-low-income-kids-caregivers-succeed/a36457- 1#sthash.DCp6T74A.dpuf