The Impoverished Family and Child

Today we are climbing up a long, dark, and thorny way. Our families are facing situations as bad as the Depression. They may even be as bad as the time of African enslavement. Families are increasingly facing impoverishment throughout our country. When we look at the poor children who are underserved by the health and social service professions, we tend not to examine the entire family constellation. But we must remember that most children live in families. Only by providing services to the entire family will we be able to serve the needs of the poor, and increasingly, children of color. I would like to examine the impact of family situations on the health of chUdren along three dimensions: 1) the growing povertization of mothers and fathers who are of color, 2) the health risks for children when poverty is present, and 3) the terrible situation that results when families are unable to care for children and children must enter the foster care system.