American Children in Chronic Poverty - by Cynthia E Lamy (Hardcover)

About the Book

A growing body of research informs us that an effective, efficient fight against chronic American poverty, producing benefits far exceeding costs, is possible. It begins by protecting children from developmental risks. This book describes those risks, along with the programs a...

Book Synopsis

A growing body of research informs us that an effective, efficient fight against chronic American poverty, producing benefits far exceeding costs, is possible. It begins by protecting children from developmental risks. This book describes those risks, along with the programs and policies we know protect children and families. A policy framework for the pursuit of an intrepid new goal - the purposeful protection of America's most vulnerable children on a large scale - would end chronic poverty as we know it.

Review Quotes

Few problems have been as resistant to policy 'cures' as child poverty in the United States. Cynthia Esposito Lamy explains why. Her passionate plea for a new policy prescription based on the cold logic of cost-benefit analysis is a must read for anyone in government or philanthropy working to end child poverty.

It is time as a nation that we dedicated more attention to the problems of the poor and the ways in which we can effectively alleviate them. Lamy should be commended for tackling such a large and complex issue, and for doing so objectively and thoughtfully.

Over the last half century, a strong understanding of the pernicious influence of childhood poverty has been developed. Lamy explains how to intervene to mitigate the effects of impoverishment. "To keep poverty from ruining a child's potential is to free a child from poverty. To accomplish that on a broad scale is to end poverty as we know it." Certainly, the need is very real: 20 percent of children in the US live in poverty, and these children face much greater physical and psychological risks than other children do. The evidence on what works is also clear. For children born into poverty, good parenting is essential. "Starting in infancy, a warm, caring and consistent parental relationship allows a child to build a foundation for the interpersonal skills he needs to succeed in the world." Subsequent investments in high-quality early education and strong K-12 education lead to favorable outcomes. Implementing strong, evidence-based interventions that reduce the effects of childhood poverty is smart public policy. The evidence is clear that communities realize strong returns when they make smart investments in their youngest children. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

About the Author

Cynthia E. Lamy is senior fellow at the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University and Metrics Manager at the Robin Hood Foundation.