This report addresses the sources and remedies for child poverty in the United States through a review of the effects of trends, policies, and changes in social relationships; and an analysis of data concerning poverty and children. An introduction sketches the present condition of children in poverty and the policies and attitudes of the past 30 years. The next section reviews trends in family incomes and poverty, pointing out the antipoverty effects of economic growth and government policies. It also focuses on poverty and income transfer recipiency among children, emphasizing the diversity of the poverty population and analyzing those who are and are not aided by income transfer programs. The third section analyses the effects of changes in family structure and family size on child poverty. The fourth section discusses evidence on persistent poverty and welfare receipt and examines the emergence of an urban underclass. The fifth section analyses some important consequences of poverty for child health and development: adolescent pregnancy and out-of-wedlock childbearing, infant mortality and low birthweight, and others. The paper concludes with an antipoverty agenda for the 1990s. Included are 9 tables, 7 graphs, and an 89-item bibliography. (JB)