America's childhood poverty numbers aren't pretty, but they are even uglier than you might think.
Take a snapshot of the U.S. today, and you'll find that 22 percent of all childrenlive in families that are below the federal poverty level. But what happens when you look at how American children fare throughout their pre-adult lives? It's nearly twice as bad.
Almost 40 percent of American children spend at least one year in poverty before they turn 18, according to a new study from the Urban Institute. While a current analysis of poverty trends might find a lower rate of children living in penury, that doesn't capture the fluid nature of people's lives, with many lower-income families bouncing slightly above the poverty line -- just under $24,000 for a family of four -- before sinking below the threshold in other years.
[For more of this story, written by Aimee Picchi, go to http://www.cbsnews.com/news/th...of-us-child-poverty/]
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