Poverty places young children at risk for a variety of adverse developmental and behavioral outcomes. High school drop-out rates, gang violence, unemployment, drug use, and adolescent pregnancy are markers of the deleterious outcomes of poverty on young children. This article discusses the relationship between poverty and child outcomes by examining the effects of lead poisoning, stress, maternal depression, and maternal drug use on child development. It offers recommendations for policy intervention strategies to ameliorate the long-term effects of poverty on child development.