Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

The Impacts of Poverty on Children in the National Capital Region

For the

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM)

Fall Research Conference

Marvin C. Walker, MBA

Social Science Researcher

Public Policy Advocate

ABSTRACT

The survivability of our most fundamental human rights often comes under attack from different angles. The right to stable standards of living is often challenged by the varying degrees of issues affecting attainability, income, wealth, health, and financial stability. Poverty in the United States is one of the more serious social problems facing many Americans. Studies show that there have been significant challenges in reducing the poverty levels in the United States. More than 45 million Americans were living below the poverty line in 2014 (Gongloff, 2014). In 2016 the official poverty level remains at 45 million Americans. In the National Capital Region (District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland), poverty represents a significant number of the population and have seen increases in recent years. Poverty in the Washington, DC Metropolitan and National Capital Region (NCR) vary by demographics, income, wealth, community, and a host of other criteria. Minorities represent a significant portion of that population including children. African Americans and other immigrant populations are at the highest levels (Brookings Institute, 2016).

Poverty impacts children differently than adults. It is important to identify the effects to children especially regarding learning, health, and social adjustments. Some neighborhoods in Washington, DC have higher rates than other sections of the city, sometimes threefold (Gaimbrone, 2016). This research is important because it focuses on the varying disparities among subcultures and families living below the poverty line and the impact this has on children in the NCR. Furthermore, this study explores the feasibility of identifying viable approaches to reduce the population within the next five years significantly.

The research questions for this study are:

• What are the constraints preventing significant reductions in the poverty incidence in the National Capital Region?
• To what extent does poverty impact learning among children in the NCR?
• Does the regional government have the capacity to reduce the poverty rate?
• How can the government manage the economic disparities to more appreciably impact the incidence of poverty?

This study proposes a conceptual framework that utilizes existing data to delineate variations and ascertain the relationship between poverty and childhood learning, effects on low-income families, and examines regional and local government capabilities to address this social epidemic. Furthermore, the research aims to make policy recommendations addressing the effects of income on poverty and potential connections to the economic conditions in the National Capital Region. Finally, the study explores poverty impacts on homelessness among youths.