Human Services News

The Urban Institute:

This paper presents trends over time in the number of children in particularly vulnerable families, including families facing such risks as domestic violence, child maltreatment, substance abuse, depression, and childhood disabilities.

These families are of particular importance to policymakers given the considerable risk to children's safety and development, the challenges to parents' ability to support a family as well as raise children when they are facing these major stressors, and the potential requirement for strong public or community roles to meet children's needs when parents cannot.

While families at all income levels can experience these challenges, many challenges are disproportionately frequent among low-income families.

Regardless of whether the occurrence of the stress is associated with low income, the challenges faced by families are likely more difficult to cope with when they have fewer resources.

For instance, raising a child with a disability can require significant time, attention, and resources that a low-income parent may not be able to offer.

As state and local policymakers, funders, and researchers look ahead to craft policies and practices to better the lives of children, these trends illuminate some of the key challenges that may arise in addressing the needs of vulnerable low-income families.