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Dodd opening remarks at State of the American Child hearing
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Jun 8, 2010 - 4:08 PM

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) delivered the following statement today as he chaired his hearing on the State of the American Child. Dodd, the Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families, will hold a series of hearings this year that will focus on the challenges facing our children and families and the tools they need to succeed in today’s society.

During the hearing, Dodd announced that he plans “to introduce legislation to create a national commission on children, in order to regularly and closely examine the needs of American families and identify solutions.”

The “State of the American Child” Hearings will examine all aspects of children’s lives: their health from birth to adulthood, their educational experience in and out of the classroom, and their life at home with their families and in their communities, with the focus of the hearings being on the inter-connectedness of all these aspects and how they shape and define the lives of our children.

Below are Dodd’s remarks, as prepared for delivery.

“Thank you to our witnesses for joining us today. As many of you know, this is my last year as a United States Senator. And although I’ve only been a parent for eight of the 30 years I’ve been here, the most rewarding work I’ve done in the Senate has been on issues affecting children and families.

You don’t have to be a parent to know how much goes into determining whether a child is able to reach his or her full potential – but if you are one, you certainly can appreciate it. Some of it is instinctual.

Jackie and I try to teach our daughters the difference between right and wrong. We tell them to keep away from strangers, and to look both ways before they cross the street. We try to get them to eat broccoli once in a while.

But during my time here, we’ve learned more and more about what kids need to succeed. We’ve come to redefine what is a “children’s issue.” And we’ve come to realize that the government has a role to play in providing the resources families need to thrive.

For instance, we’ve learned that a child’s development begins well before his or her first day of kindergarten. And so I’ve worked to build an effective Head Start program, so that every American child can be prepared to excel in school.

We’ve learned that, while a child’s development begins at birth, it doesn’t start and stop with the ring of the school bell. And so I’ve worked to establish safe and stimulating child care facilities, as well as quality afterschool programming.

We’ve learned that a child’s family life is every bit as important to his or her development as what happens in the classroom. And so I fought for the Family and Medical Leave Act, so that parents don’t have to choose between being the caring mom or dad a sick kid needs and being the breadwinner every family needs.

We’ve learned that keeping our kids healthy is about more than just winning the broccoli wars. And so I’ve fought to help every family afford pediatric checkups through the CHIP program, to keep kids away from the influence of Big Tobacco, to spread awareness of and effective safeguards against food allergies, and to reduce the number of babies born prematurely.

I’m proud of that work. But I’m well aware that there’s more work to be done. That’s why I’ve called these hearings: because our work to empower every American child is not, and will never be, done.

For instance, while I’m proud that the FMLA has allowed millions of workers to take job-protected leave, less than 8 percent have access to paid leave. While Head Start has proven to be effective in preparing kids for kindergarten, it serves less than half of eligible children, and Early Head Start serves only 6 percent of eligible kids.

An achievement gap persists in our schools, where poor kids and minorities lag behind their classmates and money to fix our crumbling facilities, alleviate our crowded classrooms, and provide quality afterschool programs is scarce.

One in a hundred children are victims of substance abuse, a number that doubles for those under one year of age. And nearly three quarters of a million children were abused or neglected last year.

And, every 101 minutes, a child in the United States dies from an unintentional injury, such as a vehicle crash or a fire, making it the leading cause of death and disability for children ages 1 to 14 in the United States.

In addition, we can’t ignore the fact that this discussion is taking place in the wake of a brutal recession that will have a tragic impact on American families long after the economic indicators have turned around.

One in seven American children have an unemployed parent. One in five live in poverty, and an additional 5 million could be driven into poverty before this recession is through. One in four currently use food stamps, and half of all kids will use them at some point during their childhood. This recession will end, but its impact will endure.

You can make up for a bad quarter in the stock market, but it’s not so easy to recoup what this recession has cost the kids and families who have felt its sting.

I don’t mean to be a pessimist. As a parent, I know that my generation is equipped with more awareness, more resources, and more support than our parents were when they were faced with the challenge of raising us.

But we know we have more work to do. And we know that the challenges we face are mounting.

That’s why I’m announcing today that I plan to introduce legislation to create a national commission on children, in order to regularly and closely examine the needs of American families and identify solutions.

There’s a reason our kids get report cards in school; they help us clearly identify how we’re doing. Only by assessing honestly our progress – celebrating our successes and acknowledging our failures – can we improve it.

Today, we have a distinguished panel of experts who can help us answer these critical questions.

What do kids and families need to thrive?

How are we doing when it comes to making those resources available?

What can we do better?

One thing I know Jackie and I teach our daughters is that it’s never a bad thing to ask questions. It’s the best way to learn. I hope that these hearings can be a learning experience for us all.

And I hope that these hearings highlight the critical need for a national commission on children, so that even after I’ve left this institution, policymakers will continue to turn what we learn into action.

Thank you all for being here today, and let’s get started.”

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