Martin Meehan: “as we prepare to debate how to reform the Federal Government's approach to crime, health care, and welfare, I think we…”

“as we prepare to debate how to reform the Federal Government's approach to crime, health care, and welfare, I think we should consider the findings of a study on children just completed by the Carnegie Corp. of New York. What does early childhood development have to do with crime, health care, and welfare? According to the Carnegie study, everything. What happens in the first 3 years of childhood has a decisive impact on intellectual development and social adjustment through adolescence and adulthood. Children who are abused, children who do not get adequate medical care, children who are simply neglected are children who fail in life. Their growing numbers threaten to undermine our economic competitiveness and destroy our social fabric, while condemning millions to a lifetime of disfunction and underachievement. Most of the debate over crime, health care, and welfare reform has so far mentioned children only in passing, if at all. But if we are serious about addressing these issues, we are going to have to talk about children. This means Head Start, family leave, and access to affordable health and child care. It also means cutting current consumption so we can afford to invest in the future, our children.”