The international community has been struggling for decades with debates about poverty and strategies for its alleviation. This edited collection represents conceptual and empirical work from around the world on the experience of poverty and its impact on children, families and communities. It represents work from researchers, academics, practitioners and policy experts bringing together global trends in conceptual, methodological, policy and program interventions in relation to poverty and notably child and youth poverty. These issues of child and youth poverty are somewhat hidden in the broader conceptual and methodological debates of international social science about global and national poverty. The advances in explanation and intervention will be of substantial interest to readers across the world as will the outcomes that are being achieved. Child poverty is pervasive and persistent throughout the world (Save the Children 2012; UNICEF 2012). Although poverty in Western industrialized countries doesn’t compare with the extremes of deprivation faced by many developing countries, it does seriously affect children and families in many countries of the developed world (Alkire and Santos 2010). Evidence reviewed from both developing and developed countries alike, confirms substantial numbers of children continue to experience poverty, deprivation and social exclusion with their basic rights compromised (UNICEF 2012; Gordon et al. 2003; Busby and Busby 1996; Pells 2011; ACOSS 2014; Sandbaek 2013). Further this evidence reveals a strong focus on monetary and non-monetary dimensions which are known to have an impact on child poverty (UNICEF 2007). In contrast to some definitions of poverty which focus narrowly on income and economic hardship, others (e.g. European Union and Australia) highlight social inclusion/exclusion as crucial issues to be addressed by policy.

There is increasing awareness of the impact of inequality and social exclusion and the need for attention to children and families in the poorest groups who are the most difficult to reach, and who are the focus of social services and research. Poverty is the result of many overlapping dimensions of deprivation and non-fulfilment of children’s rights (Minujin and Nandy 2012). There is a growing emphasis on children’s rights, children’s agency and children’s subjective wellbeing in the context of understanding poverty and addressing poverty alleviation and social exclusion (Kahn and Kamerman 2002; Bradshaw 2010; Pemberton et al. 2012; Redmond 2008; Ben-Arieh 2010).

Poverty makes its influence felt in every aspect of a child’s life. Apart from the harm done to children through a lack of resources for full social participation, their education and health are seriously compromised (Bradbury 2007). Education of children living in poverty is an area of great concern. The socioeconomic environment of children has a strong impact on engagement and achievement in schooling (Wang and Holcombe 2010). The health poverty nexus alerts us to the social impact of ill health arising from material and nutritional deprivation, inadequate housing, homelessness and unsafe neighbourhoods (Yoshikawa et al. 2012; Blackburn 1991; Chen et al. 2007). Evidence from the UK, the USA and Australia shows a relationship between low socioeconomic status, homelessness and poor health of children and a link between low socioeconomic status and inferior healthcare. The link between poverty and maltreatment and the over representation of socioeconomically disadvantaged families in child protection and out of home care systems is also documented (Besharov and Laumann 1997; Drake and Pandey 1996; Pelton 1989).

The impact of poverty is experienced in different and unique ways during the life course, and particular groups may be more vulnerable than others. For instance impoverished environments experienced by children in the early years affect not only early developmental outcomes, but have continuing impact on later years (Melchior et al. 2007; Magnuson and Votruba-Drzal 2009). Researchers and policy makers have increasingly recognized the importance of the early years and the considerable developmental disadvantage children from low income families experience (Duncan et al. 1998). In both developed and developing countries, early intervention, particularly education programs have been an important policy response to the evidence relating to the significance of the early childhood years (Duncan and Brooks-Gunn 1997; Karoly et al. 2005; Fernandez 2014).

The need for such interventions also extends into youth (Garcia Bacete et al. 2014). The vulnerabilities of youth in the transition to adulthood arising from family change and family stress is also well documented. A large number of youth living in poverty are victims of structural changes in family, inadequacies of social care, some entering the labour market or choosing to leave prematurely because of economic stress or conflict. Many are forced to transition out of out-of-home care with inadequate supports. Their journeys through these circumstances often begin at early ages and are exacerbated by the material and emotional hardship they experience during their youth and into adulthood. The impact of such youth based social exclusion and poverty on families can also be devastating (Stein 2012; Chamberlain and Johnson 2013).

The challenging environments in which families and children find themselves today means that multiple strategies are needed to combat social exclusion, adverse health, poor education and other outcomes associated with transient and persistent poverty (Ghate and Hazel 2002). Various policies, program initiatives and research agendas have emerged to address the issues that give rise to poverty. The evidence of the effectiveness of these responses to tackle poverty and assess need is also the subject of evaluations to identify short and long term outcomes.

Assumptions about the causes of poverty, factors that shape poverty, and theories of change are also debated and serve to underpin policy responses that either emphasise individual responsibility, or inform politically liberal views that advocate and support change to economic and social institutions that lead to poverty, recognizing individuals are limited by the opportunities available to them (Bradshaw 2006; Huston 2011).