According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) "children living in poverty are those who experience deprivation of the material, spiritual and emotional resources needed to stay alive, develop and thrive, leaving them unable to enjoy their rights, achieve their full potential, and participate as full and equal members of society".
据联合国儿童基金会称，“贫困儿童是指那些遭受物质、精神及情感资源剥削的儿童，而这些又是他们生存、发展与成长所必须的资源，从而导致他们无法享受权利、无法实现他们的全部潜力或作为完全而平等的社会成员参与社会活动”。