Growing up in poverty is something that no man or woman should have to deal with, but a child growing up in poverty is much worse. Having this stress put on the child can cause severe consequences on their health, mind, and personality. In order to decrease the amounts of childhood poverty in the world, countries need to invest more in social programs, increase educational opportunities to young children, and equalise income segregation.
Social programs are most important to society because they allow citizens to exercise their basic rights and give access to fundamental needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare. Most countries are striking these necessary amenities when they are very much needed. Countries who invest more in social welfare programs annually have been seen to have less child poverty gracing their streets. In 2014, Denmark, who invested 20.9% share of GDP on such programs, had a 16.9% lower child poverty rate than Italy, who invested 12.6% share of GDP. People should stop treating programs that help citizens live a full life as a luxury and more as a necessity.
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Education, or lack thereof, is a big cause of child poverty. Education at an early age, as well as through teenage years, helps a person with comprehending who he or she is. It helps people make opinions and shape their point of view towards different encounters in life. Education also leads to bigger opportunities and positive movement in both social and economic levels once adulthood is reached. Childhood poverty also can mess with brain growth, making it harder, but not impossible, to get along successfully later in life. Some children are unable to attend school because of personal issues or simply because they cannot afford it, and governments need to compensate for that. Without a good education, it makes it harder for a child to grow socially and economically, perhaps leading to more poverty.
It’s a fact that children from low-income families are at higher risk of poverty than their peers from high-income families. Children from low-income families are more than likely to attend schools that are not as prestigious as those that children from high-income families go to. Meaning that teachers may not be the best, the curriculum might not be as polished, and the food is out of the question. If only all schools were treated equally (given the same amount of money to invest in extracurricular activities and teach curriculum that is on, and hire staff that are, at the same level) despite their demographics, poverty could be reduced significantly.
Childhood poverty is one of the major problems facing the world today. Investing some more money on programs that give excess food to the poor, or setting up a homeschooling service so that children at home can learn just as well while still helping their families, or giving schools more money to spend on areas that are needed like science or sports, can go a long way in lessening poverty. Childhood is a time to explore oneself and take risks, not a time to worry about where to sleep tomorrow or when the next meal is.