A disproportionate number of Kent County children experience poverty, homelessness and food insecurity. Poverty is the root cause of a broad spectrum of barriers to successful adulthood. Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to have health problems, and for those problems to go untreated. An unstable family environment can create mental health needs and erode a child's ability to focus on school-work and resilience in the face of challenges during adolescence.

Food insecurity affects the lives of children beyond not having the access to enough food; it effects the ability of children and youth to attend and perform in school and raises greater health concerns.

Families cannot achieve economic self-sufficiency without stable housing conditions. Homelessness has a profound impact on children's health and education, as well as parents' abilities to find a job and stay employed. Homeless children have twice the rate of emotional and behavioral issues - including anxiety, depression, and withdrawal. Families in the current fragile economy face the risk of becoming homeless when they experience unemployment, lower earning power, or foreclosure. Other factors - such as domestic violence, medical crises, and mental healthy or addiction - make families vulnerable. Even in the best economic times, affordable housing can be hard to find for families without skilled jobs.