Child poverty in the U.S. has surged, nearly tripling from 5% in 2021 to 13% in 2024. This dramatic increase follows the expiration of pandemic-era economic policies and rising prices that have strained family budgets nationwide. However, a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, “Measuring Access to Opportunity in the United States: A 10-Year Update,” underscores the profound impact of public policies and programs, demonstrating their capacity to cut child poverty in half.
This report, which analyzes U.S. Census Bureau figures from the annual Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), reveals that more than 1 in 8 children in this country lived in poverty in 2024. Without the support of government programs and policies, the child poverty rate would nearly double — underscoring how vital these efforts are to helping families make ends meet. Among children living in poverty, 61%, or 5.9 million, lived with at least one employed parent in 2024.
The SPM is a more accurate gauge of families’ economic situations than the official poverty measure’s income threshold of $31,812 for a family of four in 2024. The SPM accounts for essential expenses such as housing, medical and child care; adjusts for rising costs and geographic differences in the cost of living; and measures the effectiveness of vital resources like tax credits, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), food assistance and housing subsidies.
“Poverty poses a serious threat to children’s development and long-term well-being, with far-reaching consequences for our economy,” said Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “The data unequivocally show that public programs directly help our nation’s children. By investing in children’s well-being — through both public policy and employment practices that provide family-sustaining wages — we can enable more children to thrive and contribute as they become adults.”