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Longstanding research has shown that childhood poverty and deprivation have negative consequences for children, from birth. Much of this literature, especially in the early childhood period, uses one-dimensional, static concepts that relate to households rather than children per se, missing a nuanced and dynamic description of children's lived experience of poverty and deprivation during their first years of life. We propose an early childhood deprivation framework that is multidimensional, dynamic and child-centred, and describe its methodological application to a micro-level panel survey of early childhood. We use a nationally-representative birth cohort of 18,000 children born in France in 2011, observed from birth to age 5, to produce a longitudinal multidimensional deprivation index composed of five distinct dimensions of deprivation (material, housing, extreme living conditions, parenting, and health behaviours). During the early years, income poverty does not always overlap with deprivation: in France, only 40% of deprived children are also income poor. We show that different populations are deprived in different dimensions: for example, young children from a migrant background are twice more likely to be deprived in housing and material dimensions, while not at higher risk of health behaviours deprivation, compared to their non-migrant peers. This paper therefore highlights that early childhood deprivation has a dynamic and complex structure that must be considered when studying the early years period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the effectiveness of social benefit programs on children who had prior experience with poverty across 27 European countries in the years following the Great Recession (2012–2015). Even though social benefit functions might contribute to alleviating child poverty, our findings highlight that child poverty differs not only across social benefit functions, but also between children with and without previous experience in poverty. While living in a country with comparatively high family/children's benefits is associated with lower child poverty risk, these benefits do not significantly prevent children from being poor when they have been in poverty in the past year. By contrast, old-age/survivor benefits appear to be strongly associated with a lower risk of poverty for children with previous experience in poverty. This is particularly noticeable in multigenerational households, especially in countries that provide limited support for families with children and allocate significant expenditure to pension benefits. This finding remains consistent even when using lower poverty thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of poverty using the material deprivation scale has become widespread throughout the world. One of the technical challenges in constructing the material deprivation scale is the identification of socially perceived necessities. Researchers have used methods ranging from focus groups to separate public opinion surveys to develop a list of socially perceived necessities. However, material deprivation is a relative concept. As society undergoes economic, demographic and political change, the list needs to be reviewed for relevance. The aim of this study was to examine the stability of perceptions of children's necessities in Japan at a time when public awareness of child poverty in Japan has risen sharply. The results of the analysis show that, using the 50% criterion, the list of socially perceived necessities for children has been surprisingly stable over 20 years. However, there has been a statistically significant change in the public's perception of necessity for 16 of the 25 items, even after controlling for age, gender, income and whether they have children. Furthermore, the analysis shows that although the consensus between genders and between income quintile groups is fairly stable or converging, there is a greater divergence in the consensus between age groups and between respondents with and without children. In a society with increasing numbers of elderly and childless people, we need to be increasingly careful that the items selected for the deprivation scale not only meet the 50% criteria, but are also agreed by different segments of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017 the Scottish Government passed the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act with the commitment to significantly reduce the relative child poverty rate from the current prevailing level of around 25% to 10% by 2030/31. In response, the government introduced the Scottish Child Payment (SCP) that provides a direct transfer to households at a fixed rate per eligible child – currently £25 per week. In this paper we explore, using a micro to macro modelling approach, the effectiveness of using the SCP to achieve the Scottish child poverty targets. While we find that the ambitious child poverty targets can technically be met solely using the SCP, the necessary payment of £165 per week amounting to a total government cost of £3 billion per year, makes the political and economy-wide barriers significant. A key issue with only using the SCP is the non-linearity in the response to the payment; as the payment increases, the marginal gain in the reduction of child poverty decreases – this is particularly evident after payments of £80 per week. A 'policy-mix' option combining the SCP, targeted cash transfers and other policy levels (such as childcare provision) seems the most promising approach to reaching the child poverty targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Attention bias confers risk for anxiety development, however, the influence of sociodemographic variables on the relationship between attention bias and anxiety remains unclear. We examined the association between attention bias and anxiety among rural Latinx youth and investigated potential moderators of this relationship. Clinical symptoms, demographic characteristics, and a performance-based measure of attention bias were collected from 66 rural Latinx youth with clinical levels of anxiety (33.3% female; Mage = 11.74; 92.4% Latinx, 7.6% Mixed Latinx). No moderating effects for age or gender were found. Youth below the poverty line displayed an attention bias away from threat in comparison to youth above the poverty line, who displayed an attention bias towards threat. Among youth below the poverty line, this bias away from threat was associated with increased anxiety. Findings highlight the importance of economic adversity in understanding the relationship between attention bias and anxiety.

This study investigates the relationship between multidimensional household poverty and cognitive and behavioural development during the formative years of childhood (from 9 months to 9 years), using nationally representative longitudinal data from Ireland for the cohort of children born in 2007-2008. The results indicate substantial inequalities in Irish children's cognitive and behavioural outcomes at age 9 by multidimensional poverty duration. Children with at least one spell in poverty (out of four interviews) have worse cognitive and behavioural outcomes. Dynamic structural equation models provide evidence in support of a hybrid family investment/family stress model. Although family investment processes account for some of the cumulative effects of childhood poverty on cognitive outcomes, family stress processes help explain the links between poverty and both cognitive and behaviour outcomes in early childhood. Overall, poverty is strongly related to child outcomes over time via the direct effects of current poverty on child outcomes and path dependency in both poverty and child outcomes over time. There are also indirect effects via the two child outcomes reinforcing each other as children grow older (with the effects of behaviour problems dominating those of cognitive ability), even as the parental investment and maternal stress pathways become less pronounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Administrative Sciences / Yonetim Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart Universitesi, Terzioglu Kampusu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Building off the success of the federal earned income tax credit (EITC), states have developed earned income credits to supplement the incomes of the working poor. In 2016, a distinctive change to the Oregon Earned Income Credit (OEIC) targeted additional resources to families with young children. Using a unique data set and static estimates, we found that the OEIC yielded proportional decreases in child and young child poverty of 1.8 and 2.6%, respectively. By simulating alternative OEIC policies, we also found that significant increases to OEIC rates or takeup would be required to more aggressively reduce child poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical research on children's poverty and the accompanying risk behavior was conducted in the Baktalórántháza micro-region, in one of the most disadvantaged micro-regions of Hungary. The study, completed in 2023, was conducted utilizing three methods, a questionnaire for families, interviews, and focus group interviews with social professionals working in the settlements. The region is one of the ten micro-regions with the highest poverty rate in the country. The majority of the population only has an elementary education, and the proportion of graduates is much lower than the national average. The proportion of households with three or more children is higher than the national average and the proportion of unemployed people in households with children is twice as high as the national average. Based on the experience of social workers working in the area, in addition to smoking and drinking alcohol, the consumption of psychoactive and psychotropic substances has increased among adolescents and young adults. Based on various indicators, children regularly consume illegal drugs. The origin and composition of these drugs are typically unknown. According to the reports by drug users, everyday life is easier, and they can escape from problems when under the influence of drugs. Based on the observations of experts, the consumption of various psychoactive substances has harmful effects on behavior, health, learning, and family life. School performance and the ability to think and learn decrease. Drug users are dissatisfied with their lives, have problems with social relationships, engage in partner violence, and may develop antisocial behavior in their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic clocks are emerging as tools for assessing acceleration and deceleration of biological age during childhood. Maternal depression during pregnancy may affect the biological aging of offspring and related development. In a low-income cohort of mother-child dyads, we investigated the relationship between prenatal maternal depressive symptoms and infant epigenetic age residuals, which represent the deviation (acceleration or deceleration) that exists between predicted biological age and chronological age. The epigenetic age residuals were derived from a pediatric-specific buccal epithelial clock. We hypothesized that maternal depressive symptoms, both sub-clinical and elevated (clinical level), would be associated with estimated biological age deceleration in offspring during early infancy. We analyzed data from 94 mother-child dyads using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and DNA methylation derived from offspring buccal cells collected at 3–5 weeks of age. There was a significant non-linear association between the EPDS score and epigenetic age residual (β = −0.017, 95% confidence interval: −0.03,−0.01, P = <0.01). The results indicated that infants of mothers with sub-clinical depressive symptoms had the lowest infant epigenetic age residuals while infants of mothers with no-to-low depressive symptoms had the highest and experienced biological age acceleration. Maternal depressive symptoms may influence the biological aging of offspring living in poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefit cap and the two‐child limit reduce entitlement for households claiming means‐tested benefits and disproportionately affect households with dependent children. This article explores the harms the policies are doing to children through drawing upon data collected from interviews with parents affected by the benefit cap and the two‐child limit. To investigate the impacts of these policies we draw on the Investment Model and the Family Stress Model, models principally developed by quantitative scholars seeking to understand how economic disadvantage adversely affects children over the longer‐term. While there has been frequent quantitative analysis of these models, there has been very little qualitative engagement with them: this article directly addresses this gap in the literature. We show that the benefit cap and the two‐child limit cause multiple and severe overlapping harms to children, principally by exacerbating and deepening financial economic disadvantage. Our research evidence illuminates causal processes underpinning both the Investment Model and the Family Stress Model, but also reveals additional harms that are not foregrounded by either model. We conclude by calling for the removal of both policies as a vital first step in reducing child poverty, and further reflect on the need for greater recognition of the harm child poverty does to experiences of childhood; as well as to their future selves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Women and children continue to miss preventive visits. Which neighborhood factors predict inadequate prenatal care (PNC) and well-child visit (WCV) attendance remain unclear. Description: In a retrospective case–control study at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, mothers with less than 50% adherence or initiation after 5 months gestation were eligible as cases and those with ≥ 80% adherence and initiation before 5 months were eligible as controls. Children in the lowest quintile of adherence were eligible as cases and those with ≥ 80% of adherence were eligible as controls. Cases and controls were randomly selected at a 1:2 ratio and matched on birth month. Covariates were derived from the 2018 American Community Survey. A hotspot was defined as a zip code tabulation area (ZCTA) with a proportion of controls less than 0.66. ZCTAs with fewer than 5 individuals were excluded. Weighted quantile regression was used to determine which covariates were most associated with inadequate attendance. Assessment: We identified 38 and 35 ZCTAs for the PNC and WCV analyses, respectively. Five of 11 hotspots for WCV were also hotspots for PNC. Education and income predicted 51% and 34% of the variation in missed PNCs, respectively; language, education and transportation difficulties explained 33%, 29%, and 17% of the variation in missed WCVs, respectively. Higher proportions of Black residents lived in hotspots of inadequate PCV and WCV attendance. Conclusion: Neighborhood-level factors performed well in predicting inadequate PCV and WCV attendance. The disproportionate impact impact of inadequate PCV and WCV in neighborhoods where higher proportions of Black people lived highlights the potential influence of systemic racism and segregation on healthcare utilization. Significance: What is already known on this subject? Many pregnant women and children continue to miss preventive visits. It is not known what geographic factors contribute to missed visits. What this study adds? Neighborhood-level factors performed well in predicting inadequate prenatal care and well-child attendance. There were disproportionate missed preventive visits in neighborhoods where higher proportions of Black people lived, highlighting the role of systemic racism and segregation on healthcare utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Child poverty is impacted to a great extent by family demography, with large families and single parents having a greater risk of being poor. Using the EU‐SILC microdata, we examine the extent to which social transfers reduce the risk of poverty among large families compared with smaller families in 29 European countries. Large families are defined as families with three or more children. First, we look at the reduction of poverty rates before and after the social transfers for large and small families. Second, we examine which types of social benefits are of most importance in alleviating poverty of large families. Poverty threshold is set at 60% of the national equivalent disposable income. In addition to poverty rates, poverty gaps are analysed. Results show that European countries seem to have different kinds of profiles in terms of overall child poverty reduction and whether the reduction is stronger among large families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spain has one of the highest in-work poverty rates in Europe and a high degree of job instability. Reducing in-work poverty requires an understanding of the entry and exit mechanisms specific to this situation, as well as the protective and risk factors involved. Based on data from the Spanish Living Conditions Survey (2017- 2020), this paper shows that households with children are more likely to experience in-work poverty, and that in-work poverty is more persistent in these cases. That said, entry into and exit from poverty is mostly associated with employment-related events, and to a lesser extent, with changes in household composition. The concentration of in-work poverty in households with children results from a process of erosion and accumulated risks, whereby wage losses have a greater effect on the risk of poverty, and the social protection system appears to be insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work employs a microsimulation approach to assess the impact of child benefits on the poverty level among children in Russia. The empirical basis of the study is data from a nationally representative Sample Survey of Household Income and Participation in Social Programmes conducted by Rosstat. The analysis reveals that between 2014 and 2021, child benefits did reduce the poverty level among children, but their impact was quite limited. In exploring possible directions for developing of the child benefit system, the study conducts a scenario analysis, evaluating the effect of universal, categorical, means-tested, and mixed-scheme benefits on child poverty levels. For each scenario, the effectiveness of the benefits is assessed in relation to their cost. The results suggest that, given a limited budget, the most promising approach may be a mixed-scheme benefit, with universal payments for younger children and means-tested payments for older children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sozial Extra is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Sozial Extra is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Sozial Extra is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Sozial Extra is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Sozial Extra is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the income, inequality, and poverty levels among Colombian children between 2019 and 2020, using data from the Luxembourg Income Study Database. The income distribution and changes among Colombian children are analyzed using the probability density function and growth incidence curve. The paper utilizes the Foster–Greer–Thorbecke methodology to measure child poverty in Colombia, decomposes the contributions of different subgroups to child poverty and its changes, and conducts a growth-distribution decomposition of changes in child poverty. The study also employs income-source decomposition to examine the contributions of different income sources to child inequality and its changes. The results show that Colombian children experienced a decline in income, an increase in inequality, and higher levels of poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children from households with higher dependency ratios and those living in rural areas were more likely to experience poverty. The main driver of increased poverty among Colombian children was decreased income, and there was a significant worsening of inequality for ultra-poor children. Labor income emerged as the primary source of inequality and its changes, whereas capital income and private transfers played a role in reducing poverty. However, public social benefits slightly increased inequality levels. Overall, the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is antipoor but pro-ultra-poor. To address similar recessions in the future, the government should expand public transfer payments especially programs targeting children to reduce income inequality and alleviate poverty among children, and bolster the provision of public services essential for children's development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the study is to analyze the significance of the determinants of child poverty before and after social transfers and to assess how child poverty differs from adult poverty. In the empir­ical part of the study, the panel data analysis method is used for a total of 12 years and 31 European coun­tries between 2006-2017. The main findings of the study show that GINI coefficient, per capita income, female employment, household size and property status of the dwelling are significant determinants of child poverty. The empirical finding reveals that in the selected countries, the impact of social transfers in reducing child poverty is more limited than the im­pact of social transfers in reducing adult poverty and that social protection programs should be designed and implemented more intensively to reduce child poverty. The study suggests that to combat child poverty in EU countries, it is necessary to review social programs that focus on child inequality pro­grams in a multi-sectoral framework with a view to designing more effective public policies.

Despite the concerted efforts being made at the global, regional, and national levels to reduce child poverty, children in resource-poor countries continue to experience deprivations in multidimensional forms. This study examines the link between parental financial inclusion and multidimensional child poverty using a nationally representative living standards data from Ghana—a nation with documentative evidence of high incidence of multidimensional child poverty. Employing different variants of the propensity score matching technique and multidimensional constructs of financial inclusion and child poverty, our overall finding indicates that financial inclusion decreases multidimensional child poverty. This outcome is consistent across different cut-offs used in measuring multidimensional child poverty and alternative propensity score matching methods. We also find that financial inclusion reduces child poverty more for male and rural-located children. Relatively, financial inclusion has the biggest effect in reducing children's deprivations in living conditions, followed by their health- and education-related deprivations respectively. Household income per capita and durable asset accumulation serve as potential pathways through which financial inclusion transmits to multidimensional child poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information poverty is widely recognised as having a negative impact upon peoples' health and wellbeing, and socioeconomic prosperity; however, whilst an issue of significant societal concern evidenced across a wide variety of adult groups and socioeconomic contexts, no studies have been previously undertaken with children. This appears a significant oversight given that many children across the globe are considered multi-dimensionally poor. This study thus sought to explore the possibility of information poverty amongst children. One hundred fifty-six children (aged 6–8) from five UK primary schools participated in a series of practical exercises exploring their information behaviours, and 34 parents and teachers were interviewed to provide further insights. Finding's evidence self-protective information behaviours and unmet information needs amongst children aged 6–8; both characteristics of an impoverished information state. Whilst much can be explained in developmental terms (i.e. in relation to child age and emergent literacies), much can also be explained in information poverty terms encompassing issues of both information access and use. Notably, approximately half of our child participants considered themselves to be, in general, unsuccessful information seekers; and contrasts with the views of our adult participants who majority believed that children are, in general, successful information seekers. This paper provides the first evidence of information poverty in young children, and provides further insights into the role of parents in supporting their children's information needs and shaping their developing information behaviours, with parental mediation of child media use appearing particularly problematic. Enduring inequalities in information access are also highlighted. Beyond call for further global research, a public communication campaign to increase awareness of child information poverty and contributory factors is recommended as an immediate priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the study is to analyze the significance of the determinants of child poverty before and after social transfers and to assess how child poverty differs from adult poverty. In the empirical part of the study, the panel data analysis method is used for a total of 12 years and 31 European countries between 2006-2017. The main findings of the study show that GINI coefficient, per capita income, female employment, household size and property status of the dwelling are significant determinants of child poverty. The empirical finding reveals that in the selected countries, the impact of social transfers in reducing child poverty is more limited than the impact of social transfers in reducing adult poverty and that social protection programs should be designed and implemented more intensively to reduce child poverty. The study suggests that to combat child poverty in EU countries, it is necessary to review social programs that focus on child inequality programs in a multi-sectoral framework with a view to designing more effective public policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of public transfers and taxes on the wellbeing of children in Ethiopia. It applies the Commitment to Equity for Children (CEQ4C) methodology to examine the burdens of taxation and the benefits from government transfers and spending, and their differential wellbeing impacts on children. The study integrates data from the Ethiopia Socioeconomic Survey 2018/19, which also collected data on taxes and transfers, with administrative data. Measuring its distribution by child monetary and multidimensional wellbeing, the study finds, on average, a progressive, poverty-reducing and equalizing fiscal system. However, there are important differences in the distribution of some of its elements. Indirect taxes, comprising of VAT and excise taxes, are regressive. Similarly, primary education spending, the largest of in-kind transfers, is only progressive in urban areas. With regards to poverty and inequality, the fiscal system reduced the monetary child poverty headcount by 21% and the poverty gap by 33%. The effect is stronger for girls and children in rural areas than for boys and children in urban areas, therefore reducing inequalities in poverty rates. However, this is only the case when in-kind transfers for education and health are considered. Without the inclusion of in-kind transfers, the study finds that the fiscal system is not well calibrated to reduce poverty. This highlights the essential role of public services, not only in delivering fundamental child rights, but also in reducing poverty amongst children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Kingdom two‐child policy was announced in 2015 and began to operate from April 2017. A mother claiming a range of means‐tested benefits who had a third or subsequent child born after 6 April 2017 could not receive a child addition for them, while a new claimant with three or more children would now receive no more than a claimant with two children. Using data from nationally representative annual living conditions surveys for the period up to 2019/20, we find that larger families experienced substantial real income losses since the introduction of the two‐child limit, with proportionally greater losses among those on lower incomes. Income losses among larger families were driven primarily by changes in income penalties to family characteristics, such as the presence of children under three, rather than changes in the distribution of these characteristics. Although this is not a causal analysis, these findings are consistent with a negative impact of the policy change on larger families' incomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, researchers and policymakers alike recognized the risk of poverty among large families, but family size is often neglected in the contemporary literature. This article revives an examination of the connections between family size and poverty risk for children with a focus on Germany. We take a child‐centered perspective by analyzing a sample of 13–14 year‐old children from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). First, we provide a detailed overview of the welfare and tax policies aimed at large families in Germany. Next, we estimate the poverty risk and prevalence for children in large families (looking at families with 3+ and 4+ children). Finally, we discuss how the policy and socio‐economic context interacts with the risk of poverty. We identify that the means‐tested social assistance scheme penalizes large families, while the child benefit would only acknowledge higher need of middle‐income families with three or more children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the Leave No One Behind principle of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the context of the Agenda 2030 is currently prevalent; however, research on monitoring child poverty at the sub-national (local) level is still limited. This paper addresses this gap by examining indicators developed for monitoring the phenomenon at different territorial levels (global, European, and national) and assessing their territorial transposition locally, using the city of Cadiz, Spain, as a case study. Interviews with local stakeholders reveal that despite the availability and access to related indicators and data, relevant actors must enhance their efforts to utilize such indicators effectively. Based on desktop research and qualitative analysis, the paper delivers recommendations for improving local monitoring of child poverty in Europe and inducing policy changes. This knowledge can inform targeted interventions, policy formulation, and resource allocation to tackle child poverty and promote equitable and inclusive societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Family Upbringing / Wychowanie w Rodzinie is the property of Family Upbringing Editorial Board / Redakcja czasopisma Wychowanie w Rodzinie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Social Intervention: Theory & Practice is the property of Universiteit Utrecht and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Objective: to determine the association between breastfeeding and associated factors with neuropsychomotor development of children living in social vulnerability. Methods: cross-sectional study within a socially vulnerable community. Households with children aged seven to 72 months, and their biological mothers were included. Sociodemographic, anthropometric and breastfeeding variables were collected using questionnaires, and neuropsychomotor development was assessed using the Denver II screening test. Adjusted prevalence ratios were calculated using multivariable models, oriented by directed acyclic graphs. Results: from the 654 households visited, 224 mother-child binomials were included. The mean age of children was 28 (18.7) months, and 143 (63.8%) of them presented suspected delay in neuropsychomotor development. Mothers presented a median of 8 years of formal schooling and 64 (28.6%) had performed exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. Exclusive breastfeeding was not associated with neuropsychomotor development (PR=0.92; CI95%=0.84-1.00). A significant association was observed only with years of formal maternal education (PR=0.98; CI95%=0.97-0.99). A mediation analysis did not show any clear mediator between maternal education and neuropsychomotor development. Conclusions: children living in social vulnerability presented a high prevalence of suspected delay in neuropsychomotor development. Maternal education was the only variable associated with such condition.

There has been significant progress in understanding the effects of childhood poverty on neurocognitive development. This progress has captured the attention of policymakers and promoted progressive policy reform. However, the prevailing emphasis on the harms associated with childhood poverty may have inadvertently perpetuated a deficit-based narrative, focused on the presumed shortcomings of children and families in poverty. This focus can have unintended consequences for policy (e.g., overlooking strengths) as well as public discourse (e.g., focusing on individual rather than systemic factors). Here, we join scientists across disciplines in arguing for a more well-rounded, “strength-based” approach, which incorporates the positive and/or adaptive developmental responses to experiences of social disadvantage. Specifically, we first show the value of this approach in understanding normative brain development across diverse human environments. We then highlight its application to educational and social policy, explore pitfalls and ethical considerations, and offer practical solutions to conducting strength-based research responsibly. Our paper re-ignites old and recent calls for a strength-based paradigm shift, with a focus on its application to developmental cognitive neuroscience. We also offer a unique perspective from a new generation of early-career researchers engaged in this work, several of whom themselves have grown up in conditions of poverty. Ultimately, we argue that a balanced strength-based scientific approach will be essential to building more effective policies.

Abstract Background Child poverty has been gradually rising, and about 12% of all Norwegian children are living in a state of relative poverty. This study was part of the New Patterns project, which recruits low-income families requiring long-term welfare services. Included families receive integrated welfare services, with the help of a family coordinator. The current study objectives were to explore the associations between HRQoL, demographic variables (age, gender, immigration status) and leisure activities in children and adolescents in low-income families. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among low-income families. Participating families had children (N = 214) aged 8–18 years.The family had a household income below 60% of the equivalized median population income for three consecutive years and needed long-term welfare services. HRQoL was measured using the KIDSCREEN-27 self-report instrument. Descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and proportions, were calculated, and ordinary least squares regressions were performed, clustering standard errors at the family level. Results Compared with boys, girls reported lower HRQoL on only one out of five dimensions, physical wellbeing. In the regression analysis we found statistically significant positive associations between migrant status and HRQoL on all five dimensions: physical wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, parents and autonomy, peers and social support, and school environment. In addition, age was associated with school environment, and age, gender and participation in leisure activities was associated with better physical wellbeing. Conclusions Baseline results regarding HRQoL among children and adolescents in low-income families indicate that they have overall good HRQoL, though some participants had low HRQoL scores, especially on the physical and social support dimensions. Children with an immigrant background report higher HRQoL than do children without an immigrant background.

Background: Child poverty has been gradually rising, and about 12% of all Norwegian children are living in a state of relative poverty. This study was part of the New Patterns project, which recruits low-income families requiring long-term welfare services. Included families receive integrated welfare services, with the help of a family coordinator. The current study objectives were to explore the associations between HRQoL, demographic variables (age, gender, immigration status) and leisure activities in children and adolescents in low-income families. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among low-income families. Participating families had children (N = 214) aged 8–18 years.The family had a household income below 60% of the equivalized median population income for three consecutive years and needed long-term welfare services. HRQoL was measured using the KIDSCREEN-27 self-report instrument. Descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and proportions, were calculated, and ordinary least squares regressions were performed, clustering standard errors at the family level. Results: Compared with boys, girls reported lower HRQoL on only one out of five dimensions, physical wellbeing. In the regression analysis we found statistically significant positive associations between migrant status and HRQoL on all five dimensions: physical wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, parents and autonomy, peers and social support, and school environment. In addition, age was associated with school environment, and age, gender and participation in leisure activities was associated with better physical wellbeing. Conclusions: Baseline results regarding HRQoL among children and adolescents in low-income families indicate that they have overall good HRQoL, though some participants had low HRQoL scores, especially on the physical and social support dimensions. Children with an immigrant background report higher HRQoL than do children without an immigrant background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, the federal government of the United States expanded a set of income transfers that led to strong reductions in child poverty. This research note uses microdata from more than 50 countries and U.S. data spanning more than 50 years to place the 2021 child poverty rate in historical and international perspective. We demonstrate that whether using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), relative poverty measures, or an absolute poverty measure, the U.S. child poverty rate in 2021 was at its lowest level since at least 1967. The U.S. tax and transfer system reduced the 2021 SPM child poverty rate by more than 75% relative to the pre-tax/transfer child poverty rate; this reduction was three times the mean reduction effect between 1967 and 2019. These policy changes improved the country's standing from having a relative poverty rate twice that of Germany's in 2019 to the same as Germany's in 2021. Moreover, the U.S. progressed from reducing child poverty at less than half the rate of Norway in 2019 to a rate comparable to Norway in 2021. However, the U.S. success was temporary: after the expiration of the 2021 income provisions, the child poverty rate doubled and returned to being higher than in most other high-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor single mothers in Israel are stigmatized in public discourse as lazy and relying on the taxpayers' money yet are seldom given the opportunity to access higher education to achieve economic independence. Objectives: This work sought to find (a) the sources of empowerment and resilient self‐efficacy motivating poor single mothers to pursue a degree and (b) examine the transformative growth of mothers and children in the process of acquiring knowledge. Participants and settings: Twelve poor single mothers enrolled in the Katzir antipoverty program who were about to graduate. Methods: In‐depth private interviews and content analysis examined the similarities among these women's experiences. Results: Motivations to pursue a bachelor's degree included mothers' desire to prove to themselves that they could complete a degree and secure a better future for their children. Although initially overwhelmed, they developed resilient self‐efficacy as they passed their exams and surmounted financial and other crises related to their children's health and lack of childcare. Relationships with their children had improved, and by sharing their progress and achievements with their children, they had become a proud team, motivating each other to achieve. Conclusion: Given the centrality of children well‐being in mothers' motivation to study and complete a degree, children's needs for subsidized daycare and after‐school programs cannot be ignored. Implications: Two‐generation programs that assist mothers to pursue a degree while providing daycare and after‐school programs for children must be implemented to offer fair opportunities for poor single mothers in Israel to complete a bachelor's degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of our study was to examine the association between poverty and child health outcomes in school-age children referred to child protective services. We conducted a secondary analysis of children aged 5 to 9 years in the Second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a nationally representative longitudinal observational data set of children referred to protective services for maltreatment (2008-2012). We analyzed the association of poverty, defined as family income below the federal poverty level (FPL), with caregiver report of the child's overall health, primary care, and emergency department visits using Pearson's chi-squared test. Children below FPL compared with children above it had poorer overall health (29.8% vs 18.0%, P =.03). We also conducted a longitudinal multivariable logistic regression analysis and found poverty was associated with the child's poorer overall health at 36 months (odds ratios 2.78, 95% confidence interval 1.55-5.01). Future studies and interventions to improve health in this at-risk population should target poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use a dynamic correlated random effects probit model with endogenous initial conditions for three poverty measures to assess child poverty persistence after controlling for structural household characteristics and economic variables. The empirical analysis is based on the 2015–2018 longitudinal sample of the Survey of Income and Living Conditions for Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia. Results show strong poverty persistence regardless of poverty measure, with much stronger effects observed for Croatia and Serbia than for Slovenia. Social transfers have more than twice the capacity to lift children out of poverty in Slovenia compared to the other two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]