Initial research on the phenomenon of child neglect concluded that families identified were the poorest of the poor, a finding that has systematically been repeated. However, this aspect of child neglect has received little attention in research and in intervention guides. The reasons for the link between poverty and neglect and the tangible impact of this inter-connection are rarely addressed in terms of intervention and ongoing work. The aim of this article is to merge research data and opinions on the issue. The focus is on a concept of poverty as it is identified in research and examines what aspects of the concept have a particular influence on the risk of neglect. It also outlines the various possible interpretations of the link between poverty and the risk of neglect and their implication in terms of programs and forms of intervention. In view of the impact of poverty on the issue of neglect, it can be concluded that the need for either direct or indirect intervention for this factor is undeniable if there is to be, at very least, the ability to reduce the ever-increasing rates of child neglect.