This week’s Safe Passage E Brief hits the nail on the head. Our MN lawmakers did not allow even modest, agreed upon proposals for health, education or human services into a supplemental budget. That’s how we value children in MN. 500 + abused MN children today go without a federally mandated CASA guardian ad litem voice in their child protection cases. Mental health dollars needed for healing from trauma and abuse have evaporated & federal child care requirements will remain unattainable.
If you live with, work with or know at risk children, you know how your community values children. This is depressing. Since 2004, America had remained 3rd from the bottom on spending for children among the developed nations.
Not long ago, America ranked at the top of quality of life indices and our children had good schools, healthcare and a good chance of becoming productive citizens leading happy lives. Today, America’s at risk children don’t get healthcare, quality daycare or education and critical prenatal care is rare.
America’s at risk youth are becoming dysfunctional juveniles, felons and preteen moms living in poverty, jail and prison on their way to becoming the long term problem their parents were to their community.
If you live in Arizona, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, or New Mexico (states treating children the worst) you have known for many years how badly your state treats children and why your schools don’t work, public health and public safety are endangered and communities of poverty outnumber communities of hope and happiness. Share this with your friends and networks (especially your friends in Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas & New Mexico)
ALL ADULTS ARE THE PROTECTORS OF ALL CHILDREN – Support the people, programs and policies that impact abused children
