Children's Defense Fund Update
April 17, 1998
In This Issue:
-- Juvenile Justice
-- Family Income
-- Child Care
*** Juvenile Justice ***
---PREVENTION AND LIMITS ON GUNS A MUST IN ANY YOUTH VIOLENCE BILL ---
Just before the recess began, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS)
indicated that he wants the Senate to consider a juvenile crime bill.
And Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced legislation to ban the
high capacity clips used in assault weapons, while Senators Richard
Durbin (D-IL) and John Chafee (R-RI) introduced a bill that would
require gun owners to limit children's access to their guns. Because
of the strong interest in moving a youth violence bill, heightened
since the tragic Jonesboro, AR killings several weeks ago of 4 school
children and a teacher by two boys, we need to continue to urge
Senators to oppose S. 10. We need to tell them to oppose S.10 and any
other bill that destroys the core protections for children (such as
keeping them separate from adult inmates), fails to invest in
prevention, and does not limit children's access to guns.
* Contact your Senators now, as they return to Washington. There
could be a vote on a youth violence bill at any time. Tell your
Senators not to support any youth violence bill that doesn't include
significant investments in prevention and strong limits on children's
access to guns.
Note: There has been some confusion about a statement the President
made earlier this week. In announcing the release of a study on
school crime, the President said, "Congress can help lead the way by
passing the anti-gang and youth violence strategy that I sent to them
more than a year ago..." Some reports have suggested he called for
passage of S. 10. This is wrong, as reflected in his statement. The
President did not call for passage of S.10, but rather, the bill he
sent to Congress last year.
*** Family Income ***
--- CDF STUDY FINDS $130 BILLION COST OF CHILD POVERTY ---
For every year that America allows 14.5 million children to experience
poverty, their future productive capacity will decline by an estimated
$130 billion, according to a new CDF study titled POVERTY MATTERS.
The study also finds that:
* Poor children score lower on reading and math tests, suffer more
mental and physical disabilities, and earn 25 percent lower wages as
young adults.
* A baby born to a poor mother in America is more likely to die before
its first birthday than a baby born to a high school dropout, an unwed
mother, or a mother who smoked during pregnancy.
* Poverty puts children at greater risk of falling behind in school
than does living in a single parent home or being born to teenage
parents, according to findings from the U.S. Department of Education
during the Reagan Administration.
The report traces poor children's problems back to countless
poverty-related disadvantages, such as high rates of iron deficiency,
lead poisoning, and frequent moving from home to home. The emotional
strains of poverty also have been found to interfere with proper
parenting and to weaken many families.
While many Americans are tempted to blame poor children's worse
educational and job trajectories not on poverty but on character flaws
ingrained in poor parents, POVERTY MATTERS cites major new academic
studies that contradict such scapegoating -- including studies of
siblings born several years apart who experience different amounts of
poverty. The finding that poverty matters even for these siblings --
who are raised by the same parents -- shows that parental traits are
not the cause of the poor outcomes.
POVERTY MATTERS concludes with a "pro-work, pro-family" plan for
ending child poverty.
*** Child Care ***
--- STAND FOR CHILDREN DAY '98: STAND FOR QUALITY CHILD CARE
HAPPENING ON JUNE 1 IN YOUR HOMETOWN! ---
Stand For Children helps grassroots activists organize to improve the
lives of children in their communities through successful policy
change, awareness-raising and service initiatives. This year's Stand
For Children Day will highlight the need for quality, affordable child
care and after-school activities. Already, there are hundreds of
events planned around the country.
Stand For Children Day is 6 weeks away, but there is still time to get
involved. The Stand For Children staff is here to help you organize
or get in involved with an activity in your community to improve the
quality and affordability of child care and after-school activities.
To find out about Stand For Children Day activities being planned in
your community, visit the Stand For Children web site at:
http://www.stand.org
, email , or
call (202) 234-0095.
**********************************************************************
-- OUR STRENGTH IS IN OUR NUMBERS --
SHARE THIS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!!!
Our typical email is about a page or two long and generally comes once
a week. To join our legislative update email list, sign-up on our
website or send an email to: and write in
the body of the message: subscribe cdfupdate
PLEASE NOTE: WHEN SUBSCRIBING OR CANCELING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION, PLEASE
DO NOT SURROUND YOUR ADDRESS WITH BRACKETS.
Kimberly Taylor
Children's Defense Fund
25 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202/662-3540 (fax)
CDFupdate@childrensdefense.org