Why should we be concerned about the gap between the rich and the poor? In this paper Janet Taylor examines this issue from the experience and perceptions of children born in 1990 and growing up in low and high income households. It draws on findings of the Brotherhood of St Laurence's longitudinal Life Chances Study, which commenced in 1990 interviewing families with children born in inner Melbourne in that year. The families in the study reflect the demographic diversity of the original area. They are now wide spread across Melbourne and beyond. This paper was presented at the Eighth Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference.