ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the economic situation of children under age 18, with particular emphasis on the problem of child poverty in the United States. It looks at the development and current status of American antipoverty policies for children. The chapter evaluates the policies, discusses alternative strategies for reducing child poverty, and compares the situation in the United States with that in other affluent countries. It describes that poverty and antipoverty policy may seem out of place in a child welfare text, but it really is not. Unemployment and low family income are associated with family problems requiring child welfare services. Understanding the role of labor market and income maintenance policies in enhancing families' economic security can help social workers develop a more integrated approach to child welfare policy issues and, more generally, to improving the lives of children. Child welfare and related social services aim at meeting the objective.
