Children’s HealthWatch Memos to President Biden’s Transition Team

Children’s HealthWatch looks forward to working with President Biden’s Administration to improve the health and development of young children through policies and practices that advance equity and address and alleviate economic hardship. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis, nearly one in six children in America lived in poverty, making them the poorest age group in the country. The rate and severity of poverty are even higher for children under six, with more than half of those experiencing poverty living in extreme poverty. Almost 73 percent of children living in poverty in America are children of color; nearly one in three Black and American Indian/Alaska Native children and nearly one in four Latinx children live in poverty, compared to one in 11 white children. Poverty has a catastrophic and lasting impact on the health and well-being of children, and its vicious cycle – often perpetuated by systemic racism – continuously deepens racial wealth and income gaps that harm our nation. But child poverty has a solution. With their leadership, we can end child poverty in America and promote health across the lifespan by bringing evidence-based solutions that move our country forward to economic, racial, and social justice.

Read our memos sent to key staff at the Biden-Harris Administration below.