A quarter of children under age 6 are poor. Poverty has a multiple and cumulative effect on children, regardless of race, family structure, or parental education level. As part of the Children's Defense Fund's Costs of Child Poverty Research Project, this report shows the effects of poverty on children. The Children's Defense Fund's stated mission is to provide a voice for children who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves, emphasizing the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities. This report provides evidence that money could actually be saved by reducing children's poverty. The chapters in the report are as follows: (1) "Who Are Poor Children and How Poor Are They?"; (2) "What Money Buys for Children and Families," documenting harmful effects of poverty on children and listing what can be provided for children with sufficient funds, including good food, safe shelter, learning opportunities, decent neighborhoods, health care, healthy recreation, transportation, and communication; (3) "Human Costs Linked to Child Poverty," discussing health, education, and problems linked to child poverty, along with evidence from experiments; and (4) "The Economic Costs of Child Poverty," evaluating the costs and benefits of attempting to end child poverty. Includes references in the form of endnotes. (BGC)