Children in Peril...Bob Herbert. NYT

[Stuart G]

Bob Herbert..NYT

Children in Peril
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/opinion/21herbert.html

By BOB HERBERT
Published: April 20, 2009

With so much attention focused on the banking system and arguments over bailouts, the plight of America’s children in this severe economic downturn is getting short shrift.

Official statistics are not yet readily available, but there is little doubt that poverty and family homelessness are rising, that the quality of public education in many communities is deteriorating and that legions of children are losing access to health care as their parents join the vastly expanding ranks of the unemployed.

This is a toxic mix for children, a demoralizing convergence of factors that have long been known to impede the ability of young people to flourish.

“It’s actually quite frightening,” said Dr. Irwin Redlener, president of the Children’s Health Fund in New York. “We’re seeing very unsettling reports of increased numbers of children in poverty. Those numbers may rise from about 12.5 million before the recession to nearly 17 million by the end of this year.

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Of all of the problems faced by the United States, the care and well being of our children is perhaps the most important. Sure, there are so many other pressing problems, but if we do not care about our kids, then what do we care about at all?