Child poverty in Virginia is of concern, not only for its current effects, but also for its future consequences. Today’s poor children are likely to have lower educational attainment, lower projected lifetimes earnings, and generally poorer health outcomes as adults—negative outcomes affecting not only these individuals, but also the vitality of the Commonwealth. This report provides a fresh perspective on childhood poverty and family structure in the Commonwealth by using the Virginia Poverty Measure and focusing on three questions:
- How prevalent is childhood poverty in Virginia?
- How does family structure relate to childhood poverty?
- Are current poverty amelioration strategies — particularly those promoting marriage — sufficient given what we know about childhood poverty?
Learn more about poverty in Virginia:
View the social safety net timeline and our interactive poverty maps.