The Memphis 2025 Poverty Fact Sheet shows that Memphis still has the highest poverty rate for children in the nation. More than four in 10 children in this city live below the federal poverty line—nearly double the nation rate. This is unacceptable. We must do better by our youth.

But how do we do that? Through long-term structural change, not short-term charity or isolated programs. We need more early investment for children 0-8 years old, better cradle-to-career pipelines, more economic stability for families, affordable housing, and public-private accountability.