The extent to which the health effects of poverty and economic hardship pervade primary care clinics and hospitals across the US is not always clear to policy makers. Poverty affects children throughout the life span and is associated with increased infant mortality, decreased language development, and chronic illnesses.1 This effect is not just circumstantial but biologic. Poverty and economic hardships such as food insecurity and housing instability affect brain development, and children from low-income households score lower on standardized tests and have reduced regional gray matter volumes.2 Parents who struggle to afford basic needs, such as housing, food, and utilities, report greater mental health issues, which affect parenting.3 Prior research has demonstrated that school readiness, academic performance, and a child's eventual economic attainment are sensitive to family income.1 These poor outcomes are correlated with the discrepancy between family income and financial need.4 Almost half the children in the US live in or near poverty, defined as an income of up to 200% of the federal poverty level or an income of $53 000 or less for a family of 4. This represents 31.5 million children living in or near poverty,1 which is roughly the equivalent of the populations of Ohio, Georgia, West Virginia, and Arizona combined.