Poverty is a social problem, and finding solutions requires us to look closely at our society, laws and social institutions. Families in Poverty brings together the best and most recent quantitative and qualitative data to examine poverty among U.S. families, the problems poor families face, and discusses how solutions to poverty do exist.

Some major topics found in the text include:

• Trends in poverty in the United States
• Discussion on how poverty is measured and defined
• Critiques on several explanations of poverty
• Consequences of poverty on children and adults
• Labor market issues such as unemployment, minimum wage, employer-sponsored fringe benefits
• Programs in the United States designed to eliminate or reduce poverty