Poverty is one of the most talked about issues in the United States. Our government is always trying to think of ways to reduce poverty, get people out of poverty-related situations and how to help those that need financial support. But if we are working so hard to fix this problem, why are there still so many people living in poverty today? As of 2011, fifteen percent of Americans and twenty-two percent of children in America are living in poverty. Poverty is defined as the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor. The first cause of poverty is education. Education plays a huge role American society and can be the keys to the kingdom when it comes to being successful financially. How do we expect our economy to grow if our youth isn't receiving an adequate education? Public school education budgets are at an extreme low, yet we blame the students themselves for not reaching their full potential. .
Our government is not willing to spend the money investing in our country's youth because they don't see the importance of a solid education. In order for a child's brain to develop correctly, they must be stimulated at a very early age; therefore, putting a very heavy importance in preschool programs and early education facilities. If the appropriate amount of money is not being invested in educational programs and schools, we will see it in our poverty level in the future. Many children in America grow up in a school system that does not provide them with the correct amount of supplies and without adequately-qualified teachers to help them grow and learn as they go through school. If a student doesn't have the right educational foundation, he will not have the same opportunities as the students who do have a good educational foundation to go to a college and to continue his education. A child that is deprived of a quality education will grow up to be the adult that lives in poverty.