[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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