[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 24, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3925-S3926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CHILDREN'S HEALTH
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am pleased, although not surprised, with
the latest news that Vermont's children rank as the healthiest. Recent
data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows
that Vermont ranks at the top or near the top of the list on a variety
of metrics, including a child's access to health care, and percentage
of children who exercise regularly. We all know that healthy habits
begin in childhood, and Vermont has worked for years to ensure that all
Vermont children have access to healthy beginnings.
Vermont has long been a trailblazer on health care, particularly for
children. Recognizing that access to health care for children and
pregnant women is critical to a healthy society, Vermont created the
Dr. Dynasaur Program in 1989 to help families who could not afford
health insurance but could not qualify for Medicaid. The program was
such a success, Governor Howard Dean expanded Dr. Dynasaur in 1991 to
cover all children and teens. Governor Dean's success with the program
and leadership on the issue paved the way for Congress to create the
Children's Health Insurance Program.
Vermont has taken other steps as well to ensure all children can grow
up healthy. In addition to having one of the lowest rates of uninsured
children, Vermont has worked hard to give children access to healthy
meals at school. Vermont brings local food into schools and teaches
children about healthy eating through the Farm to School Program. And
in order to make sure all children have access to school meals, Vermont
gives those eligible for reduced-price lunches those meals for free. By
working in a coordinated fashion across agencies and with advocacy
groups, Vermont reaches out to children in need to help those families
receive access to health care, nutrition assistance, and other vital
safety net programs.
Unfortunately, there are still some troubling national trends related
to children's health of which Vermont is not immune. Larger serving
sizes and greater access to junk food combined with sedentary
lifestyles have contributed to the steady rise in childhood obesity
rates. Additionally, we are seeing a rise in the number of children
living in poverty and without consistent access to nutritious food and
health care. If we fail to reverse these trends, we are setting our
children up for health problems that will last well into adulthood.
We must continue to support the efforts of our States and so many
families who are trying to help their children make healthy choices.
Instead of working to undermine the efforts we have made to ensure
children can eat nutritious meals in school or to repeal the Affordable
Care Act, or reducing eligibility in the Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and Children Program or other nutrition
programs, we should be working together to ensure all American children
have the chance to succeed.
[[Page S3926]]
Vermont has shown tremendous leadership in this area, and I hope we can
all learn from its model.
I ask unanimous consent that the following Washington Post article,
``Best state in America: Vermont, for its healthy kids,'' be printed in
the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Washington Post, June 21, 2014]
Best state in America: Vermont, for its healthy kids
A lifetime of good health starts in childhood. Health
insurance, access to health care and regular exercise make
for fit kids with long life expectancies. And nowhere in
America are kids healthier than in Vermont.
Across a range of metrics, the Green Mountain State excels,
according to the latest data collected by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Fewer than one in four
Vermont children are overweight or obese. More than 81
percent have access to medical and dental care. Nearly 99
percent have health insurance. And one-third of all Vermont
children report exercising at least 20 minutes a day.
Vermont's relatively small and prosperous population makes
it easier than in some other states for officials to reach
out to potentially vulnerable children, said Cathy Hess,
managing director for coverage and access at the National
Academy for State Health Policy. What's more, Vermont has
been a pioneer in children's health reform.
The state's Dr. Dynasaur program, created in 1989, covered
tens of thousands of low-income children long before the
federal Children's Health Insurance Program came into being.
Congressional authors modeled the federal program in part on
Vermont's plan.
Vermont policymakers have also worked for years to build
partnerships between public and private institutions to
promote children's health. There's the Vermont Child Health
Improvement Program, run through the University of Vermont;
Children's Integrated Services, run through the state
Department for Children and Families, which works to connect
low-income families with young children to social services;
and the Blueprint for Health, established in 2006 to improve
health-care services and control costs.
``They're focusing on the child and the family, and not so
much trying to fit the child in different bureaucratic
holes,'' Hess said.
Other states can brag about their successes: Children in
West Virginia, Missouri, Tennessee and Oklahoma report
getting more exercise than their compatriots in Vermont. Kids
in Utah and Colorado are less likely to be obese or
overweight. And Hawaii and Massachusetts insure a greater
proportion of their children.
States with higher percentages of low-income families tend
to fall at the less healthy end of the spectrum, especially
if those families are minorities with less access to health
care. Nearly 40 percent of children in Louisiana and
Mississippi are obese or overweight. Only 56 percent of
children in Nevada and 59 percent in Idaho have access to
medical and dental care. Just 18 percent of Utah children say
they get 20 minutes of daily exercise.
Perhaps those states should study Vermont's model. The
Green Mountain State is a lap ahead of the rest of the field.
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