How living in poverty can affect a growing child
Health and Nutrition
Children from low income families may not have access to the same health care benefits that other higher income families have. This means that children’s health issues can go undiagnosed or untreated. Also, children who grow up in poor families often eat foods with a lower nutritional value. Poor nutrition at breakfast, for example, can affect children's brains and learning as well as their overall health. When students experience poor nutrition it's harder for them to listen, concentrate, and learn.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary is very important for learning, memory, and understanding. Kids from low-income families are less likely to know the words a teacher uses in class or the words in reading materials. When children aren't familiar with words, they don't want to read, or they tune out, or they won't participate in class because they don’t want to look stupid.
Academic Achievement
Children living in poverty may not be able to concentrate due to hunger and lack of sleep or not having warm clothes when the weather turns cold. Or it can mean being teased for not having things, or being treated differently which can mean that children go to school worried or anxious, making it harder for them to learn. Children from lower income backgrounds often perform below those from higher income backgrounds on tests. Studies have also shown that children from low income families may have a shorter attention span and act out more in class, or they could completely shut down and isolate themselves.
Relationships
Three-quarters of all children living in poverty have a single-parent caring for them. According to the 2014 census, 81% of children in single-parent families in BC were in a single-mother family. Many women are forced to work part time due to the lack of child care, when they want and need a full-time income to support their families. This means that kids spend more time alone or with secondary caregivers, like daycare, when their parent or parents are working, and this can lead to insecurity and stress. And when parents are stressed about health care, housing, and food, they're more likely to be grumpy and less likely to offer positive comments to their kids. Relationships can be challenging for children who lack role models and sufficient daily support from adults. Children growing up in poverty may have issues with trust, which could affect them when they become adults as well.