The Invisible Americans

The Trauma and Ghost of Poverty


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Gain valuable insights into the issues of poverty and its impact on children in the United States.

Our guests:

  • Dr. Nathaniel Harnett, Director of the NATE Lab at McLean Hospital, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
  • Clara Moore, poverty expert working with the national organization RESULTS 
  • This episode's guests highlight the findings of a study that found the trauma of poverty and racism negatively impact the brains of 9 and 10-year-old boys. Dr. Harnett discusses his study and his recommendations for a path forward to undo this damage. 

    Clara Moore shares her personal and professional insights on poverty, including what she calls the ghost of poverty. She discusses how children who grow up impoverished often remain only one paycheck away from abject poverty as adults. Programs like the Child Tax Credit have been shown to be effective in lifting children out of poverty. 

    Our hosts:

    • Jeffrey Madrick, author, news correspondent, American economics expert
    • Carol Jenkins, journalist, activist, author, past President of the ERA Coalition
    • This podcast is based on Jeff's book, "Invisible Americans: The Tragic Cost of Child Poverty." We have two guests on this episode who speak eloquently about poverty in America, changes to welfare reform, how the COVID-19 pandemic showed us policies can help the poorest people in our country, and what's next for the Child Tax Credit.

      For more detailed show notes and a full transcript, ⁠see the Podcast page on the Invisible Americans website⁠.

      The Invisible Americans Podcast is a non-profit communications organization. Its mission is to end child poverty. The podcast is hosted by Co-Presidents Jeff Madrick and Carol Jenkins.


      Music for this and all episodes is provided by Bridget St. John.

      Audio editing by Sylvester P. Lukasiewicz.
      Show notes and transcript by Amy Yoder.

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      The Invisible AmericansBy The Invisible Americans