U.S. Ratification of the CRC and Reducing Child Poverty: Can We Get There from Here?

If the United States finally ratifies the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), will it improve the country's abilities to effectively combat child poverty and thereby improve child well-being? This article addresses this and related questions in two ways. First, the authors examine how ratification of the CRC has influenced the efforts of other wealthy Anglophone countries to reduce child poverty. Second, they draw on lessons learned from these other countries' efforts to generate predictions about America's postratification future. The authors conclude that, while the CRC is a compelling, practical tool, a communications strategy and business plan are necessary complements to achieve desired results.