Giving Compass' Take:

• Writing for the Albuquerque Journal, Youth Development Inc. CEO Diego Gallegos emphasizes that lifting families out of poverty will have a greater impact on the well-being of children than focusing on programs that target only kids.

• Head Start is cited as an example of an organization that takes a more holistic approach to family and child services. Also, rather than intensely competing for resources, Gallegos urges more collaboration between nonprofits, foundations and government agencies in order to deliver results more effectively.

• Want to delve into the science on how poverty affects a child's brain development? Click here.

Why can’t we move the needle on child well-being?

We know generally that successful and supportive families have successful children and that families that are struggling have children that struggle. Yet we continue to focus our efforts on supporting children but not their families, and we continue to get poor results for children.

Families in poverty are stressed by the impact of no or low wages: substandard housing, high transportation costs, the simple inability to give their children the basics while being bombarded by images of wealth and prosperity. Stressed by disconnected and overwhelmed social service and safety nets that seem to work against them rather than for them. And stressed by an educational system that can’t find answers to the educational needs of poor children, especially those of color.

In more severe cases that stress leads to abuse or emotional abandonment of children. In more cases, family stress leads to stressed out children who carry that stress into their classrooms, making learning more difficult ...

A National Institute of Health study released in January found that students who participated in an intensive early childhood program were more likely to attain an academic degree beyond high school. This program supported children through third grade more intensely than most public school programs but closer to what is generally provided in most schools. The biggest difference is that the program also provided parents with training in job and parenting skills, educational classes and social services. It encouraged school involvement and parenting group participation.

Read the full article about why helping families in poverty is crucial to the well-being of children by Diego Gallegos at Albuquerque Journal.