This report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) presents analyses of the impact of the safety net on poverty rates and a close look at populations experiencing high risks of poverty during the 50 years since the War on Poverty began. The report highlights the increasing role of safety net programs in lifting families and children out of poverty between 1967 and 2012 by providing estimates of what poverty rates would have looked like had resources from government policies and programs not been available.

In partnership with the Administration for Children and Families, and American Institutes for Research, the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Youth Services hosted a webinar on Trauma-Informed Practice for System-Involved Youth. Many disconnected youth, including youth who are runaway and homeless, or have been involved in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems, find it difficult to connect to work because of traumatic experiences. The workforce system’s ability to address trauma will lead to better employment outcomes for these youth and the businesses that hire them.

Currently, 11 percent of young children under age 10 live in households with incomes below 50 percent of the federal poverty line. This fact sheet from the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) compares the early health, development, and risk characteristics of young children living in deep poverty to children in families that are poor, but not deeply poor, and children in families that are not poor.

These National Center for Children in Poverty policy briefs provide a two-generation view of current policies affecting children from birth to age eight, nationally and state-by-state, in the areas of health and nutrition, early care and education, and parenting and economic supports. The profiles are updated and expanded regularly.

A college education can provide a path out of poverty, but low-income students face many obstacles along the way. Many face difficulty selecting the best college for them, and some have trouble navigating financial aid options. While overall college graduation rates are rising, the gap between the top and bottom income groups has widened considerably over the past four decades. This article reviews research on policies that could help increase college completion for low-income students, such as interventions to increase college preparedness and providing on-campus support to help students stay on track and eventually graduate.

This webinar, hosted by the National Disability Institute, provides background information and resources on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) time limits and their effects on low-income adults with disabilities.

Compared to a few decades ago, low-income children today have better access to healthcare, fewer are born to teen mothers, fewer live in foster care, and their parents have more education. However, the circumstances and outcomes of higher-income children have advanced even more rapidly, leading to expanding inequality in the resources that boost child development. Additionally, in some ways, the circumstances of low-income children have gotten worse. This report consists of a consensus plan from researchers at the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute. The plan would reduce poverty and improve opportunities for those at the lowest income levels.

The Early Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (Baby FACES) is a longitudinal study in 89 Early Head Start programs around the country. This report describes findings from the second wave of data collection for Baby FACES. Baby FACES follows two cohorts of children through their time in Early Head Start, starting in 2009. This report focuses primarily on children in the 1-year-old Cohort who were 2 years old in 2010. The report addresses Early Head Start program characteristics, services, and outcomes.

This brief from the Institute for Research on Poverty explores the crisis that poor families face in finding and maintaining affordable housing. It outlines trends that led to the current housing situation of rising costs, stagnant or falling incomes, and a shortfall of housing assistance from the Federal Government. Most poor renting families now devote over half of their income to housing costs. Additionally, eviction has become more common in low-income communities. The brief describes consequences of eviction for parents, children, and communities, as well as suggestions for policy changes.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Family Unification Program (FUP) provides low-income families in the child welfare system with housing vouchers. FUP is critical to understanding the overlap between the child welfare system and housing/homelessness, as well as how to provide housing to vulnerable families and facilitate partnerships between public housing agencies and child welfare agencies. This report highlights FUP implementation in eight sites and offers innovative practices and impacts.