Children are more likely than any other age group to be poor.
After declining in the 1960's and 1970's, child poverty rates are climbing. Minority children are 3 times more likely than majority children to be reared in poverty. Poverty in early childhood has long-lasting negative consequences for cognitive development and academic outcomes. An enormous human resource is lost when children do not achieve to their highest potential. Early childhood education can make a critical difference in the later success of poor children.