Child Poverty: A Review

Abstract

The central message of this paper is that child poverty is much more complicated than just looking at income levels. In determining how a child's needs are met, it is important to consider how resources are shared and used within a household, the value of other services provided (eg child care, education) and the value of parental care. This review addresses five main questions: How should we define child poverty? Should it be a focus of policy concern? How should it be measured? What causes it? What policy strategies can be used to combat it?