[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 8, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IMPORTANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

  (Mr. ALLEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the importance of 
early childhood development.
  A few months ago, I attended the White House Conference on Early 
Childhood Development. Recent research suggests that the first 3 years 
of life are crucial for a child's emotional and intellectual 
development. The formation of neuropathways in the brain is directly 
related to the quality of care young children receive in the first 3 
years of life.
  Early and developmentally appropriate care and education are vital to 
the health and well-being of our children. But today, one-quarter of 
all children in this country are growing up in poverty. Teachers and 
principals of Maine elementary schools tell me that so many kids today 
lack the basic social skills that allow ordinary interaction with 
others.
  We have had lots of rhetoric about education. What is missing is the 
national will to leave no child behind and the resources to make it 
happen. I believe that a country that can support the salaries of the 
NBA and NFL and major league baseball can take better care of our kids.

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