But Is It Good For Children and Families?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO, IL January 2, 2013 – As the nation looks forward to a new year, and celebrates the time honored tradition of making resolutions, we should take a moment to ask ourselves, isn’t it time our country resolved to make children and families our top priority?

We know reducing stress and isolation are good for children and families. So are providing needed services such as child care, after school programs, and home visiting.

Another thing that’s good for children and families? A sense of true stability, not just financial stability, but also the stability that comes from knowing where their next meal is coming from, that they can pay their bills, obtain medical attention, and that there will be a roof over their heads.

The compromise Congress reached at the eleventh hour regarding the fiscal cliff will do much to alleviate the uncertainty families would have faced had a deal not been struck.

However, Prevent Child Abuse America would like to offer a proposal to lawmakers across the nation who will take office in 2013. When there is a difficult decision to be made, ask yourselves, “Is it good for children and families?”

While this solution may seem overly simplistic, we think it will make it much easier to strike bipartisan compromises that will lead to good, healthy decisions that positively impact children, their families, and thus the nation.

In fact, we’d like to take this proposal one step forward and ask that all Americans, whether they are speaking up at PTA meetings, questioning whether volunteering as a mentor or at a local Head Start center is worth the investment of time, or considering assisting a family facing hard times to ask themselves the same question.

Doing so may seem simplistic as well, but imagine all that what we could accomplish if we did?

“I continue to be surprised that the children and families in our country do not command the same degree of discussion and focus as national security and our nation’s economic stability,” said James M. Hmurovich, President & CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America, “but I also want to remind everyone that when we talk about stability, and we ask ourselves about what’s good for children and families, we do so, not only because we care about things like food and shelter, but because we want to create opportunities for parents to bond with their kids, share their values, and ultimately raise children who are valuable, contributing adults. It is a new year, which means there is a new opportunity to make children and families a priority. Let’s resolve as a country to make 2013 the year of the child, and let’s start by asking ourselves a simple question, “Is it good for children and families?” If it’s not, let’s come up with something better.”

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ABOUT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AMERICA
Prevent Child Abuse America, founded in 1972 in Chicago, works to ensure the healthy development of children nationwide. The organization promotes that vision through a network of chapters in 50 states and 590 Healthy Families America home visitation sites in 39 states, the Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada. A major organizational focus is to advocate for the existence of a national policy framework and strategy for children and families while promoting evidence-based practices that prevent abuse and neglect from ever occurring. To learn more about what we’re doing to prevent child abuse and neglect and how you can help, please visit our websites here and here.