Today, 15.5 million children are living in poverty in America - the highest child poverty rate the nation has seen since 1959. Nearly four million Americans fell into poverty last year and worst of all, children experienced the steepest rise in poverty and the largest single year increase since the 1960s.

"Held Captive": Child Poverty In America is a collection of real stories from both the professional and those who are faced poverty across America. The Children's Defense Fund presents to us through the eyes of these people the intimate relationship people have with poverty.