One out of five children, and one out of two single mothers, lives in destitution in America today. The feminization and "infantilization" of poverty have made the United States one of the most dangerous democracies for poor mothers and their children to inhabit. Why then, Valerie Polakow asks, is poverty seen as a private issue, and how can public policy fail to take responsibility for the consequences of our politics of distribution? Written by a committed child advocate, Lives on the Edge draws on social, historical, feminist, and public policy perspectives to develop an informed,...

How can child care be structured to protect both the interests of children and the rights of women? Must children suffer the "loss" of their childhood through institutional care? Polakow uses her observations of pre-school centers including profit-run, federally funded, community, and Montessori institutions to open the "windows of daycare.""

This special issue of Educational Studies explores poverty and schooling. Divided into two sections of articles and book reviews, the papers address topics such as: the creation of an urban normal school - what constitutes quality in alternative certification?; children with disabilities; educating students about poverty and health needs; and more. The contributors include K. Burch, N.K. Mutua, L.R. Bloom, J.H. Romeo and M. Haberman.

Does society care about its children? This work aims to offer a provocative and in-depth examination of violence in the lives of children. It uncovers the conditions and social policies that perpetuate violence. It also looks at other forms of violence in families, neighbourhoods, and schools.

Lack of access to affordable high quality child care is frequently the tipping point that catapults a family into poverty, joblessness, and homelessness. Polakow presents the compelling stories of low-income women from across the nation and chronicles their resilient struggles in the face of ongoing child care crises. The resulting work is an incisive critique of public policy that points to the shameful record of the United States in caring for its children.

Denmark is one of the most progressive countries in terms of family support policies. This book, however, reveals a backdrop of diminished rights, inequalities and family violence in the lives of vulnerable lone mothers. If this is the case in Denmark, what is the situation in other countries, including the USA, the UK and other EU member states?Diminished rights is a unique qualitative study that documents the daily lives of vulnerable lone mothers and their children in Denmark. Loss of rights, gender and ethnic inequality, and family violence all emerge as key themes, with far-reaching...