Stressors Related to Poverty and the Development of Young Children

               The incidence of poverty in our country is on the rise.  Statistics collected by the United States Bureau of Census for 2010 state that 22% of all children under the age of 18 live in poverty. This is the highest rate since 1993.  In September, the New York Times published an article listing  the cities with populations of 65, 000 people or more and their ranking in terms of poverty.   My city, Reading, Pennsylvania, was number one on the list.  As the Director of Head Start, this article clearly supported a trend I had suspected.  The stressors related to living in poverty are numerous for the entire family. The impact on the development of young children is significant.

                 Many studies have been conducted that look specifically at how poverty effects educational and cognitive outcomes of young children. Researchers have also studied how living in poverty effects social emotional development.  Often times, children living in poverty are being raised in a single parent, usually female head of household family whose education is limited. Their housing situation is often substandard in neighborhoods that have issues. All of these factors  have a negative impact on a child’s development.

                Research tells us children living in poverty often grow up in less cognitively stimulating environments. (Moore, K, Red., Burkhauser,M.,Mbwanna,K & Collins, A., 2009) Children in this situation who have not had experiences outside of their home such as Head Start,  often enter school with a deficit. Compound that with the fact that  typically  schools in  poor neighborhoods do not have the resources that schools in more affluent neighborhoods have.  Both factors have a negative effect on a child’s educational and cognitive development.

                The social and emotional development of young children is also affected by the stressors associated with poverty. Research tells us parental depression is twice as common among low-income parents which can impair their ability to provide positive parenting ( Connecticut Commission on Children, 2004).

                A child’s physical development is also effected by growing up in poverty. According to statistics provided by the National Center for Health Statistics, children in poverty are 3.6 times more likely to have health issues related to obesity, exposure to lead due to poor housing conditions and often have not had necessary health care or immunizations (Moore, K. et. al, 2009).
                The effects of poverty are truly far reaching. As a Head Start Director, I have seen the effects of poverty  first  hand .  Children come to us with many stressors even at the age of three and four. These stressors seem to manifest themselves in many ways.  Behavior is an area that presents challenges for many children living with these stressors. We are fortunate to have resources available to address many of these issues.  We partner with local mental health professionals to provide interventions for the child and the parent.  We also work directly with  our early intervention program to provide necessary supports within the classroom to help the child work toward more positive outcomes.  Unfortunately, there are many eligible children we are not able to reach since our funding is limited. The need  in our community far exceeds our resources as a Head Start program.

                Looking outside of our country, I decided to research stressors for young children in Mexico. My interest in Mexico was spurned by the fact that many of our families have emigrated from there.  I couldn’t help but wondered what brought them to our community given the current problems our community is facing.  As I read about poverty in Mexico, it became quite clear to me  that in comparison, life in Reading  is  better,   especially for children.  In Mexico, it is not unusual for children to be working at a young age to help add to the family income ( Ferguson, K., 2005). It is not uncommon for children to literally be living and working on the streets due to the extreme poverty in many areas, Their basic needs are often met in the streets. Child labor is defined as “work that impairs the health and development of children whereas child work constitutes all work that detracts from the essential activities of children , namely leisure, play and education” (Aitken, S., Estrada, S., Jennings, J., Aguirre, L., 2006, p. 368).  Both are detrimental to the normal development of children.  In Mexico, children as young as five are expected work in the poorest families.  Some work in agriculture while some panhandle on the streets.  Those services and opportunities for young children such as Head Start are do not  exist  in Mexico.   As I read the research, it was clear that for many families coming  to our community  gives the hope of a  better life for their children.

References:

Moore, K.A., Redd, Z., Burkhauser, M.,Mbwana, K., & Collins, A.,  (2009). Children in poverty; trends,     consequences, and policy options. Child Research Brief, Publication 2009-11, Retrieved                                          November 23, 2011 from http://www.childtrends.org/files/child_trends_2009_04-07-rb-                childreninpoverty.pdf

Children and the Long-Term Effects of Poverty, The Connecticut Commission on Children. June,2004.

                Retrieved November 22, 2011 from

                http://www.cga.ct.gov/cdc/pdfs/poverty/2004_poverty_report.pdf

Ferguson, K., (2005). Child labor and social capital in the mezzosystem: family- and community-based     risk and protective factors for street-working children in Mexico. Journal of Social Work      Research and Evaluation, Vol. 6, No.1, 101-121. Retrieved  November 23,2011 from         http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenlibrary.org

Aitken, S., Estrada, S., Jennings, J., & Aguirre, L., (2006). Reproducing life and labor: global processes and              working children in Tijuana, Mexico. Childhood, 13:365. Retrieved November 23, 2011 from          http://www.sagepublications.com.