UTMB

Once a quarter or so we feel we should update you on the facts about the state of children in America.  We will give you information, numbers and statistics complied by the Children’s Defense Fund.  The mission statement of the Children’s Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind and to ensure every child a Healthy start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

Did you know the following?

A child is abused or neglected every 35 seconds -906,000 a year—and dies from abuse or neglect every 6 hours in America.  The number of children abused and neglected each year would fill the city of Detroit.

A child is born into poverty every 36 seconds in America; 12.9 million children are poor and 5.6 million of them live in extreme poverty.  The number of poor children equals the population of the state of Ohio or the nation of Zimbabwe.  The number of extremely poor children exceeds the population of Maryland or the nation of Libya.

A child is killed by a firearm about every 3 hours –almost 8 a day; 96,000 children have died from firearms in America since 1979.  They would fill Boston’s Fenway Park nearly three times.

A baby is born without health insurance every 42 seconds. More than 9 million children are uninsured; 85 percent of them have at least one working parent.  There number exceeds the populations of New Jersey or the nation of Haiti.

• What can you do?

   

  Inform your political leaders that the above facts are unacceptable.

  Ask your political leaders to make budget decisions that protect and ensure a safe environment for children.

  Ask your political leaders what is their plan for ensuring a safe environment for children and how do they purpose to accomplish this goal.

  Every week the Galveston County Daily News prints the address, telephone and FAX numbers, and e-mail address of your elected officials.  Use them.