Moms – Cycle of Poverty

One of the things that is heartbreaking to me, and I’m guessing you too, is how poverty is such a vicious cycle – so hard to escape. An article in the Washington Post a few days ago sheds a bit of light on why.

Here’s an excerpt from the article summarizing the research:

“In what was described as the first detailed portrait of its kind, researchers reported that one in nine infants in poverty had a mother with severe depression and that such mothers typically breastfed their children for shorter periods than other mothers who were poor.

‘A mom who is too sad to get up in the morning won’t be able to take care of all of her child’s practical needs,’ said researcher Olivia Golden, who co-authored the paper with two colleagues at the District-based Urban Institute. ‘If she is not able to take joy in her child, talk baby talk, play with the child – those are features of parenting that brain development research has told us contribute to babies’ and toddlers’ successful development.’”

That just makes me so very sad – as a mom and as a follower of Christ.  Kids from backgrounds of poverty have so many disadvantages and this research highlights yet another one.  I’m so glad that so many of you are involved in Deep Justice work both locally and globally.  One person at a time, we can make a difference.

©2010 Fuller Youth Institute