He’s intent on explaining that his PlayStation and flat screen TV are artifacts from a better time in their lives. Her brother, Roger, talks about the misconceptions that others have about their family based on their possessions. Middle School student Brittany Smith talks about trying to shower without hot water in a snowy winter. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the documentary is the straightforward way that kids are able to explain their struggles. Neumann is sensitive in his portrayals of the children without sparing viewers the often-depressing details about the chances these children have to enjoy prosperous lives. The children’s honest and sometimes heartbreaking worldviews highlight the growing problem of poverty in America and the fallout from the economic crisis. Long interviews with the featured kids are punctuated by shorter interviews with their parents, most of whom are unable to find full-time work and struggle to meet even the most basic needs of their families. The documentary follows three families with children over the course of a year. Neumann has previously documented the struggles of poor children in his native Britain. Director Jezza Neumann explores the problems of childhood poverty in Frontline’s Poor Kids, which originally aired in November 2012. Their daily struggle to survive and enjoy childhood is largely hidden from middle- and upper-class families, most of whom have only a vague idea of what growing up in poverty is really like. While the federal government has set the so-called ‘poverty line’ at $23,050 of income per year for a family of four, many of America’s poor kids live far below this line. **** High-risk forms of credit include payday loans, automobile title loans, refund anticipation loans, rent-to-own, and pawning.Between 13.4 and 16.5 million American children live in poverty. *** Very low-income households are those at or below half of median income in the area where they live. ** Rank compared to national percentages. * Poverty line: $23,834 for a family of four. 20.9% of people under age 65 and below the poverty line who did not have health insurance.29.9% of unemployed workers were helped by unemployment insurance.11.2% of households use high-cost, high-risk forms of credit to make ends meet.**** (Ranked 46th).73 apartments were affordable/available for every 100 renter households with very low incomes.***.19.9% experience difficulty providing food due to a lack of money or resources.5 out of every 1,000 children live apart from their parents in foster care.30% of young adults (ages 25-34) who had an associate’s degree or higher.19% of disconnected youth (ages 18-24) who were not in school or working.
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