Why Is This Important?

Poverty affects a wide range of resources that can enhance or diminish quality of life and thus have a significant influence on health outcomes. These resources include safe and affordable housing, access to education, public safety, availability of healthy foods, local emergency/health services, and environments free of life-threatening toxins.

Definition

Children under 5 years of age living below poverty level

Data Source

How the Measure is Calculated

How Are We Doing?

Based on 2019-2023 American Community Survey estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, there was wide variation in county rates of poverty among New Jersey children less than 5 years of age. Counties with the highest percentages of children under 5 years of age living in poverty were Cumberland and Passaic Counties. The lowest percentages of poverty among children aged less than 5 years were in Hunterdon and Morris Counties. In New Jersey, approximately one-quarter of Black and one-fifth of Hispanic children under 5 years of age are living in poverty.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

New Jersey's early childhood poverty rate of 13.8% is below the national rate of 17.6%.

Available Services

Links to many services for children are available through the New Jersey Department of Health, [http://nj.gov/health/fhs/index.shtml Division of Family Health Services]. New Jersey's [https://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/primarycare/family-health-line/ Family Health Line] provides information and referrals for health screening and treatment and offers help on a wide variety of other topics. Call 1-800-328-3838. Children without health insurance may be eligible for no cost or low cost insurance through [http://www.njfamilycare.org/ NJ FamilyCare]. For information, call 1-800-701-0710. The New Jersey Department of Human Services, [http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dfd/home/index.html Division of Family Development] provides services and programs that assist low income children and their families, including child care assistance, child support enforcement, food assistance, and cash assistance.

More Resources

Healthy People 2030 [https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/economic-stability Economic Stability] NJDEP [https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/bc82aa1d39d54e5d944d701cf7e8450d Potential Lead Exposure Mapping Tool]

Health Program Information

Poverty during childhood puts children at increased risk for living in run-down or poorly maintained older (pre-1950s) housing, and this increases a child's chances of exposure to chipped and peeling lead paint. Deteriorating lead paint (chipping, flaking, and peeling) and paint disturbed during home remodeling contributes to lead dust, contaminates bare soil around a home, and makes paint chips and dust-containing lead accessible. Children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning than adults. The first six years, particularly the first three years of life, is the time when the brain grows the fastest, and when the critical connections in the brain and nervous system are formed. The normal behavior of children at this age - crawling, exploring, teething, putting objects in their mouth - can put them in contact with lead that is present in their environment.