Federal poverty thresholds have been based on the same formula since 1964. That is likely to change before long. But the number of poor is increasing no matter how you count them. more

This 2010 report reviewed research on the impact of the 1996 welfare reform law on the economic mobility of TANF recipients and their children. The review found that research investigating the impact of welfare reform on the economic outcomes of children was limited, but the research that did exist showed no evidence that children had seen large benefits or harm as a result of the legislation.

This November 2009 report found that having parents with high savings positively impacts one's upward mobility, particularly for children of low-income parents; having high savings oneself increases the chances of moving up from the bottom of the income ladder. 

This October 2009 report found that an associate degree is particularly meaningful for low-income, high-achieving high school students-over half of whom transfered to a four-year college, and, of those who transfered, three-quarters earned a bachelor's degree.  In a time of high unemployment, community colleges were a critical stepping stone for people to increase their skills and earnings potential.  The colleges also provided resources, including career counseling, to educate students about the classes and fields of study that  had the potential for higher returns, such as health care and computer science.