Documentary Exposes Reality of Child Poverty in America in the Time of the Coronavirus

Growing Up Poor in America
Tues., Sept. 8, 2020
Streaming at 7/6c at pbs.org/frontline & in the PBS Video App
Airing at 9/8c on PBS and on YouTube

Early in 2020, it was estimated that almost 12 million children in America were living in poverty, and that more than one in six lived in food-insecure households — a burden disproportionately borne by Black and Hispanic kids.

Then came the coronavirus.

As the pandemic continues, the presidential election approaches, and America reckons with racism, FRONTLINE presents a documentary offering a powerful look at child poverty in America in the time of COVID-19 — told from the perspective of the children themselves.

Growing Up Poor in America premieres Tues., Sept. 8 on PBS, at PBS.org/frontline, on the PBS Video App and on YouTube. It is the first in a series of documentaries from FRONTLINE this fall illuminating issues and choices facing American democracy in the runup to the election, including Policing the Police 2020 on Sept. 15, The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden on Sept. 22, America’s Medical Supply Crisis on Oct. 6, and Whose Vote Counts? on Oct. 20.

For more about the film, read here.

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TRANSCRIPT

>> We don'’t have school becauseof the coronavirus.

My schoolwork is not very well.

>> NARRATOR: They are growing upin uncertain times.

>> When we say we don'’t likehave money like we really don'’t.

>> NARRATOR: The experience ofpoverty through the eyes of

children.

>> I think anyone can end up howwe are, being homeless.

>> When I get older, I wouldn'twanna live here.

I wanna get a good stable job.

>> Sometimes life just happen,and things go the wrong way.

>> NARRATOR: "“Growing Up Poor"”.

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