[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 39 (Wednesday, April 13, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT MUST BE PART OF DEBATES ON CRIME, HEALTH 
                        CARE AND WELFARE REFORM

  (Mr. MEEHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, 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.

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