The Impact of Poverty on Children and Families
There is no one else like moms. Moms heal our bruises and comfort us when we’re down, all while juggling a plethora of household duties, personal responsibilities, bills, and more. Moms are practically superheroes.
But what happens when their capes aren’t able to fly as high, when they are faced with financial hardships and poverty-related challenges? Living in poverty can lead to long-term detriments in child development and family life. With mothers playing such a critical role in family structure and children’s growth, it’s important to know more about the potential long-term hardships associated with poverty in children and families.
The Impact of Poverty on Children
Research shows that children growing up in poverty have poorer health outcomes, putting them at a higher risk of developing health problems such as asthma and impairment of functional health (eg. vision, hearing, speech, mobility). They may also have higher rates of childhood injuries and mental health problems (e.g., hyperactivity, inattention, depression). Children living in poverty also have a stronger association with poorer social relationships and lower academic achievement.
The unfortunate reality for many lone working mothers is that there is a trade-off between time with their child(ren) and work. The unpredictable and inflexible schedules often associated with low-wage jobs can pose difficulties for working parents to secure stable childcare, obtain education necessary to find better paying jobs, or hold multiple jobs (which are often necessary to make ends meet in lower-wage jobs). These scheduling challenges not only pose a threat to economic security for moms, but may also negatively impact child development, as some moms are unable to be fully present for their child(ren).
“The ideal-worker standard and norm of work devotion push mothers to the margins of economic life. And a society that marginalizes its mothers impoverishes its children. That is why the paradigmatic poor family... is a single mother and her child.”
The Impact of Poverty on Families
According to the family stress model, poverty can contribute to parental relationship conflict, stress, and parental depression, which plays a critical role in family dynamics and can lead to negative child outcomes. Economic pressures may also give rise to relationship tension between the parent and child, such as resentment towards the parent for not spending enough time with them because of work.
At Mom2Mom, we know that despite all the challenges that poverty brings, moms and kids are resilient.
How Mom2Mom is Making a Difference
Mom2Mom addresses poverty’s impact on children development and family life by providing direct support to mothers. We are committed to fostering the positive capacities of parents through programs and services that build stronger support networks. Supporting moms facing the dual challenges of poverty and lone parenting is a proven and effective way to improve the lives of vulnerable children. Here are some of the ways we do this as a community:
Monthly Grocery Support: this program helps keep food on the table every month. Over half of all moms connected to Mom2Mom no longer need to visit the Food Bank to be able to feed their children.
Our Compassion Fund: the program provides funding to relieve short-term stress, invest in long-term wellbeing, and remove barriers for moms in need. Compassion Fund investments include extra grocery support, costs for mom’s and children’s activities, professional development related fees, appliance repair, medical expenses not covered by MSP, and more.
Relationship Volunteers: we connect all participant moms with a relationship volunteer. Volunteers are women from diverse backgrounds, often who have raised families themselves and want to use their knowledge to support other moms. They are stable, non-judgmental allies who offer active listening, and emotional and practical support.
Here’s How You Can Join Us
Donate to support moms living in poverty. When you become a member of The Mom Squad, Mom2Mom’s monthly giving program, you can provide grocery support to some of Vancouver’s most vulnerable families.
Share this blog post with family and friends.
Shift our thinking of poverty as an individual choice to a structural failure. Removing the stigma of poverty allows moms in our community to feel less isolated.
Support initiatives that demand long-term solutions to address issues like food insecurity.
Written by Celine Tsai
Research for this post is retrieved from:
Gupta, R. P., de Wit, M. L., & McKeown, D. (2007). The impact of poverty on the current and future health status of children. Paediatrics & child health, 12(8), 667–672. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/12.8.667
Moskowitz, D., Vittinghoff, E., & Schmidt, L. (2013). Reconsidering the effects of poverty and social support on health: a 5-year longitudinal test of the stress-buffering hypothesis. Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 90(1), 175–184
Pamela J., & Karen B. (2007). Nonstandard Schedules and Young Children's Behavioral Outcomes among Working Low-Income Families. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69(1), 139-156. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4622422
Poverty and child welfare: Effects of poverty on families. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://oacas.libguides.com/c.php?g=702168&p=4992460