Those policies are because Americans don't care about children. There's a disturbing survival of the fittest mentality when it comes to children. There's no urgency to address inequalities in child health or education to help give more kids a chance. We're content with mere survivors and those who grew up with advantage coming into adulthood prepared and leaving the rest behind.
PH is right. I noticed the same thing. Americans generally despise children. The trillions of dollars spent on their education and basic necessities is just part of the elaborate ruse to make others think they care. The fact that poor children in truly deprived countries experience a level of poverty that is not even conceived of in this capitalist society is no reason to doubt the true lack of concern from Americans. It is disgusting the way the US has all of these social programs to mask their true hatred of the poor.