Why are there so many children living is poverty in the US

 Why are there so many children living is poverty in the US

    Many children in the United States are living in poverty today but why. Why do they remain the poorest age group in America. In 2018, according to the Census Bureau's official poverty measure 11.9 million children under the age of 18 are living in poverty. Children make up 31.1% of the US population living in poverty. The child poverty rate of 16% in the US is almost one and a half times larger than that for adults aged 18-65.

    Single motherhood is a large factor for these statistics. Around two and five children under 18 who live in a household lead by a single mother experience poverty to some extent. These children are five times more likely to experience poverty than kids who still have both parents in the house. Because of this many of these children become homeless.  During the 2017-2018 school year 1,508,265 school aged children were reported to be homeless.

    Child poverty is also related to race/ethnicity. Almost 73% of poor children in the US are children of color. Nearly one in three black children and native American children and one in four Hispanic children experience poverty when compared to the one in eleven white children who do. 

    These poor children are also more likely to face harder struggles than other kids. While struggling with poverty, children are more likely to struggle in or drop out of highschool. They are also more likely to get involved in the criminal justice system as well as facing economic hardships when they are older.