Most of the uninsured lack coverage for a few months at a time. In addition, the census doesn't verify whether people who appear to have no insurance in fact have none. They are more likely to lack a regular medical provider, to be disengaged from homework and classes, and to have a parent who skips meals when money runs low. Nearly 1 in 3 parents of poor children showed signs of depression, anxiety, and poor mental health in the Urban Institute study, compared with just 1 in 10 parents of higher-income families. Yet in most instances, the differences between poor families and higher-income ones are not as huge as many might think.
Most poor parents appear to do well by their own kids.
The Urban Institute study suggests that reports of the demise of the American family are premature. The remaining mystery is how so many poor families seem to overcome some of the weighty burdens of poverty. Higher-income families are those with incomes twice the poverty level and above.