preview

The Poverty Cycle Of Poverty

Better Essays

Children are said to be the future of America, but what if their future is lined up for them already because they are stuck in a cycle of poverty? The Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) collects information on the social and economic status of families and their offspring every year. The National Center for Children in Poverty used a PSID study that found “that individuals who grow up in poor families are much more likely to be poor in early adulthood. Moreover, the chances of being poor in early adulthood increase sharply as the time spent living in poverty during childhood increases” (Wagmiller and Adelman). The poverty cycle consists of a family in poverty which then leads to a child who grows up in poverty. Said child will be …show more content…

“Poverty and education are inextricably linked, because people living in poverty may stop going to school so they can work, which leaves them without literacy and numeracy skills they need to further their careers. Their children, in turn, are in a similar situation years later, with little income and few options but to leave school and work” (“Poverty and Education”). The National Center for Children in Poverty sponsored a study that found that in families whose income falls below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Line, scores are far below the national average in reading, math, and general knowledge tests (Jordan). Subsequently, poverty ridden families live within the same neighborhoods and, thus, the surrounding schools follow the trend of not receiving enough money and the inability to facilitate the students with the best teachers and technology to learn.
Not only do children who are facing hardships at school and are behind grade level have a hard time getting into college and/or getting jobs, they also do not have the resources to learn how to be a good competitor for jobs. “For first-generation college students, embarking on a career path is like entering foreign territory. They may not know how to choose a career path, write a resume or interview for that first job. Many have little experience or no role models to help with all

Get Access