UC Irvine

Can the United States dramatically reduce the number of its children living in poverty? This article summarizes key conclusions of the report issued by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's Committee on Building an Agenda to Reduce the Number of Children in Poverty by Half in 10 Years. These conclusions focus on the causal evidence linking poverty reduction and child well-being as well as a host of policy and program ideas directed toward poverty reduction. The Committee found that packages of work-oriented and income support program are able to simultaneously reduce child poverty and increase the number of adult workers in low-income families. Costs of these policies are also considered.