Some vulnerabilities affecting Essex county include households an influx of headed by one parent, births by unmarried women, and weak family economic security.
Lamy uses quotes, specific policies and programs, and statistics involving child development. She discusses how SNAP, WIC, Housing First, EITC, and other programs and policies can be supported in housing, food, health, and jobs.
Newark school's reported that their almost half of buildings have lead in their water. This is creating immense vulnerability in Essex County, and the issue in Newark dates back to about four years ago. This problem also stems from the history of lead-based paint, which was outlawed in 1978, but still can be found in many homes, and poisons children.
Professionals can use this data to place an emphasis on the need to solve blood lead issues in children. This study concluded that a higher proportion of black students had higher blood lead levels; professionals can use this information to decrease the experience gap by working on solving blood lead issues.
Many precautions that were taken to reduce blood lead poisoning in New Jersey over the years. In 1978, lead paint was banned in America, and in 1996 New Jersey required children to be screened for blood lead levels. However, Chris Christie vetoed legislation to remove lead paint from old housing in 2016.
The main argument of the article is about how child poverty is induced by several factors. She discusses the risks of child poverty to child development, some of these factors are parental stress, mental and physical illness, child hunger, and low expectations. Lamy addresses how families can overcome poverty struggle.
In comparison to other counties, Essex county has the largest number of children above the CDC blood lead level, 5% of Essex county children are affected. They surpassed Passaic County's 3.4%. This risk is more prominent in Essex county than any other group in the state.