As Seniors Climb From Poverty, Young Fall InRANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. – Living in rural North Carolina, Linda Sue Jones doesn't see her teenage son as the archetype of a national trend. But 15-year-old Josh, as a boy who lives in the South in a household headed by a single woman, is characteristic of the exploding numbers of children in the USA living in poverty — numbers exacerbated by the recession that has pushed many families into poverty for the first time. Click here to read more... Federal Children's Watch: President Releases His BudgetOn Monday, the Obama Administration released its budget proposal for 2013. While not every federal children's program is funded at the levels needed, the budget makes substantial new investments in areas supported by ECM. Specifically:
The President's budget proposal now goes to Congress. It represents a good first step, but children need your support if it is to become law. Please contact your Representative and Senators and tell them you support a federal budget that invests in children. This is particularly important in 2012 as Congress must make tough budget choices or every children’s program could be cut by almost 10% next year because of agreements Congress made in 2011. We oppose any effort to cut Head Start, child care, nutrition, or any other program that promotes child well-being. The needs of children are in competition for the same resources with much more powerful forces in the Congress. It is more important than ever to make your voice heard: click here. Mr. Romney's "Ample Safety Net" CommentDuring an interview last week in which Mitt Romney announced his apparent lack of concern for the very poor because “We have a very ample safety net”, Mr. Romney appears to turn his back on the nation’s 16 million children—22% of all children—who live in poverty. We suspect Mr. Romney wishes he could retract and reframe his response. No matter. Mr. Romney commendably says he wants to assist America’s struggling middle class, but the working poor and their children also are struggling. One big reason is because an already overburdened safety net is failing to contain the explosive growth in poverty caused by 2008’s economic meltdown. But even prior to 2008 our poorest children were struggling. For more than a decade every credible examination of child well-being in the rich democracies ranks the U.S. near the bottom. Sky high rates of imprisonment, child abuse, and school dropout are all highly associated with child poverty. Read more » |
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