Astoria has a high child poverty rates, yet is seen as family friendly. Astoria is a place with a variety of backgrounds, and this could explain the cultural comfort people feel. While a diverse community may mean a higher emphasis family values in the culture, it doesn’t make up for the monetary position the kids are in.
Children in poverty are more likely to stay in poverty
Education influences a child’s future career. Without a good education or the encouragement to do well in school, children that fall behind in class are more likely to fall behind after graduation too. This perpetuates a cycle of poverty.
The better educational opportunities, the better chance a child has at breaking out of the cycle of poverty
Parents economic status is the child’s economic status. Parents, well meaning or not, influence their children’s future economic status. They can only provide so much with little means and this is where the cycle continues.
The cycle of poverty is a system perpetuated by discrimination
Poverty has roots in racial segregation. Racial housing segregation has been an issue since slavery and the first waves of migrants that came to the US. Without access to quality and areas that were predominately white, communities of color struggled with established their own spaces form nothing.
Poverty groups people, the cycle continues
People and communities need permanent solutions, not only temporary assistance. The programs the government offers, only offer some relief from finical burdens. Without programs that actively help people with more long term and stable solutions, the cycle will continue and people will never receive life changing help.
Government assistance has little to no effect on preventing poverty, but people are worse off without it.
