Poverty Powerpoint Outline

(Transcript of the slides)

• Massachusetts Department of Public Health (2013) categorize poverty as a risk factor that calls
for the appropriate early intervention.

• Poverty affects the entire family; infants, toddlers, and the parents.

• “Homelessness involves a lack of a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence”

(Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2013).

• Homelessness may also be “sharing of home due to economic hardships or loss of home; the
child is abandoned in a foster care placement; living in residence not designed for the living, and
a toddler lives with parents who are migratory workers” (MDPH, 2013).

• Losing a house- a family may lose its house due to accidents such as fire or natural calamities.

• Economic hardship- hardships such as unemployment and losing employment positions may
lead to poverty in a family. Consequently, the toddlers, children, and infants may suffer
unfortunate situations such as a lack of nutritional food.

• Health conditions- the parents and guardians who are in unstable states of health cannot meet
all their children’s and toddlers’ basic needs. They may fail to provide the appropriate care as a
result.

• Poverty negatively impacts children in several ways. It impacts their health conditions.

• Also, poverty impacts the child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development.

• Therefore, poverty has a secondary impact on the child’s educational outcomes.

• Children born into poverty are at risk of health problems resulting from nutritional inadequacies,
chronic disease, and mental-related problems.

• These group of people have a higher risk of academic failure.

• Low income children drop school without graduating.

• In addition to learning disabilities, they develop low self esteem which can lead to mental health
issues such as depression and anxiety

• People living in poor environments are more likely to develop substance abuse behaviour.

• Poverty has affected the way parents can perform their parental duties.

• The parents need resources to provide for the children comfortably. However, poverty reduces
the parents’ ability to perform this vital obligation.

• Economic barriers and incapability may make parents depressed and stressed. As a result, the
parent becomes dysfunctional. So the comfort of the parent determines the well-being of the
child.
• Due to this conditions, children tend to experience more episodes of domestic abuse and
neglect than those who live in an acceptable environment.

• Poverty creates the foundation for domestic violence.

• The leading effects of poverty are hunger, illness, and poor sanitation.

• Unfortunately, the effects of poverty never occur singly. Instead, they are interrelated.
Sanitation issues raise an individual’s susceptibility to diseases.

• On the other hand, hunger and lack of clean water make children more susceptible to other
diseases.

• Economic inequality affects individuals. The more one cannot meet their daily needs, the more
they become stressed. On the other hand, abusing drugs and other toxins make one violent and
vulnerable to the high-risk behaviour, and subsequently, mortality rates.

• Charity work- providing the basic needs and facilities to the needy families is a treatment
measure.

• Financial support- financially supporting low-income families may improve their conditions.

• Free education and health care- provision of free education and health facilities to the poor may
be necessary to improve their situations.

• Organised sectors- dividing people into organized sector and schemes may be effective in
addressing their problem.

• Massachusetts Department of Public Health (2013), the early intervention services include
“assistive technology devices and services, audiology services, family training, counseling, and
home visits, health services, and medical services for diagnostic or evaluation.”

• The additional “intervention services include: nursing services, nutrition services, occupational
therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, service coordination, sign language and cued
speech, social work services, special instruction, speech and language therapy services,
transportation services, and vision services” (MDPH, 2013).

• A development specialist

• A registered nurse

• A registered occupational therapist.

• A Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW)

• Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW).

• A Speech and Language Pathologist.

• A Therapy Assistant.

• A local Child Group

• A Parent Group

• A Siblings’ Group

• Organizations focusing on mitigating the effect of poverty: Save the Children; Child Foundation;
Sponsor a Child in need; CARE; Oxfam International; Concern Worldwide; End Poverty Now;
Global Citizens; World Relief; Care International.

• All these groups should have regular meeting, necessary resources, and appropriate information
regarding the early intervention for the children in poverty.