Not So Socially Mobile

"poverty status at birth is linked to worse adult outcomes"

An estimated 14.1 million Americans under age 18 are poor. The longer a child is poor, the worse his or her adult outcomes.Childhood poverty rates, according to the U.S. Census Bureau says the report, have ranged between 15 and 23% over the past four decades. Children who are born into poverty have much higher rates of economic and educational difficulties in their adult years. According to a study from the Urban Institute "Childhood Poverty Persistence..." by Ratcliffe and McKernan, 49% of American babies born into poor families will be poor for at least half their childhoods.

•13% of all children (40% of black children and 8% of white children) are born poor.
•37% of children live in poverty for at least a year before reaching age 18.
•10% of children spend at least half their childhood years (9 years or longer) in poverty.
•Black children are 9 times more likely than white children to be poor for at least three-quarters of their childhoods; 18% versus 2%.
•69% of black children and 31% of white children who are poor at birth stay poor for least half their childhoods.