Near $3 Trillion of COVID-19 Stimulus, But No Word About Youth’s Needs

Congress recently passed a $2.7 trillion stimulus bill to help the U.S. economy and the over 30 million Americans who lost their jobs due to the impacts of COVID-19. Even as this offers a cushion to help many Americans weather the worst downpour in the economy since the great depression, tonight about 13 million children will still go hungry or be trapped in an abusive household.

It’s no secret that, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, we have a serious gap between the rich and the poor, but this gap has become even more pronounced in light of the struggling economy. Families who were already struggling to work their way out of poverty are facing even greater challenges. In short, the gap between the “Haves” and “Have Nots” is widening further and having a devastating impact on youth.

The Problem: background on youth and poverty

There are about 72.4 million children and youth in the U.S. under the age of 18. Out of this group, an estimated 21% live below the poverty level. Some 15 million households (40 million people) are food insecure, meaning that they are struggling with hunger. This number may not even be a full representation, because so many children and youth in dire situations go unaccounted for.

Poverty occurs from factors that are often outside of an individual’s control. This includes being a child, female, Hispanic, Black, or having a disability. Unfortunately, because of structural limitations on society (e.g., income inequalities, racial discrimination), each of these factors increases the odds of living with a lower income.

The depression of our economy has exasperated the situational factors for poverty. Even people who were previously considered middle class are experiencing the inability to afford the essentials, such as food or housing payments. Now just imagine how it is for families who were already struggling to survive.

Many parents and caregivers in the lowest income areas of our economy are essential workers. They are putting lives on the line for everyone else. Simultaneously, their kids are not able to attend school and they might not even have internet access to participate in virtual education. Besides, many of these children were recipients of school food programs.

One of the most serious side-effects of living in poverty is abuse. Not all low-income parents abuse their children, but youth living below the poverty line are more likely to experience child abuse. Risk factors, such as depression, substance use, and social isolation, combined with the stress of living in lower incomes can increase the odds of child abuse. However, more than anything, children are more likely to experience neglect (not providing for a child’s basic needs) than other forms of maltreatment.

Children should not have to worry about where they are going to find their next meal or how they are going to find the internet to show up to virtual class or to do their homework. Unfortunately, the stimulus package doesn’t do enough to protect the youth of our country.

The Stimulus Package

The current stimulus funding is geared more towards helping the economy and has limited provisions to directly help children and youth. The provisions for youth appear to be for childcare agencies, child welfare services, education, rural development. This funding is only going to last so long as it is limited in availability and the issues at hand are much larger.

Don’t get me wrong, the money is helpful, but it doesn’t solve the institutional problems that people in this country have been facing for generations.

Such as:

Lack of access to food and knowledge
Unequal access to social services
Lack of affordable housing
Employment disadvantages
Unequal access for resources (example: technology for school)

All families face challenges, however today we are talking about these very specific ones related to financial hardships. Experiencing stress in one part of our lives can affect other areas.

We can’t just put a Band-Aid on certain issues—we need to think about poverty more holistically. We also need to put more pressure on the government, especially the local government, to help with local issues. It is incredibly stressful to have to stand in a food line for hours or try to find a place to sleep at night when you need a place to study or have to take care of family.

The True Solution

The problem is large, but not insurmountable. I propose a two-fold solution.

A Youth Focused Program:

I think we need a massive youth-focused program by the government focused on the needs of our country’s children, which would include access to food. Yes, the community and charitable organizations are helping. There are programs such as Save the Children, Prevent Child Abuse America, Feeding America, and many others for people to access food and find the supports they need. But they are not enough or difficult to reach. Some schools are providing food to the students and families in need. There needs to be a direct crisis response with an investment from federal, state, and local governments to prevent youth from sleeping on the streets, being hungry, or unable to access their education.

Accessible Learning Plans:

The other side is the lack of access to knowledge. A child in one part of town can easily access the internet, communicate with the teachers and friends on school-related projects. But another child in a different part of the city may not have access to the internet and therefore he/she is blocked from learning. I think both government and private sectors must come together with the right technology solutions so that everyone would have equal access to knowledge.

Conclusion

The multi-trillion-dollar stimulus package is supposed to help in some capacity, and there is no doubt that we need it. Something is better than nothing. But unfortunately, there is still more to be done. There is still a larger issue at hand. Poverty is a huge issue and children are disproportionally affected – especially right now. We need institutional-level change. The youth are the future of the county. Let’s protect them.

If you have any other thoughts or ideas about this, I’d love to hear from you.

B Strong,

Aysha

Want to know what’s in the stimulus package? Click here