|
Statement by
Shay Bilchik, President/CEO of CWLA,
Promises to keep
In his second term as President of the United States,
President Bush has promised to shift his focus to a domestic agenda and
so far we have heard a lot about the potential privatization of Social
Security and the implications of this restructuring for future
generations. We have heard a lot about his vision to allow workers to
make investments in the stock market as a way of saving for their
retirement. What we have not yet heard from the President is his vision,
and his promise, for America's 3 million abused, neglected, and
vulnerable children. We urge the President to make-and keep-a promise to
these children, youth, and families by declaring that they are indeed a
top national priority. President Bush can choose to leave behind a
legacy of hope and promise for America's children by confronting one of
the greatest challenges we face today — ensuring their health, safety,
and well-being.
As we reflect on the state of our union, it is
critical that we examine the state of our children, youth, and families.
In particular, we must work to better the lives of the abused and
neglected children in our child welfare system, including the growing
number of children being raised by their grandparents or other relatives
when it is not safe for them to live at home. We call on the President
and Congress to understand that a plan "to build a better world for our
children and grandchildren" also means protecting children from abuse
and neglect, and investing in programs and services that help children
grow to be adults who are able to participate fully in their community.
We applaud the President's new initiative for at-risk youth and look
forward to working with the administration and the Congress on its
development. We also encourage the President to consider the following
recommendations:
- Make a Promise to Children: As the President and
Congress begin to make decisions regarding this year's funding
priorities, we urge them to increase the resources necessary to
provide a broad range of services and supports for children in
foster care. This includes resources to enhance the capacity and
quality of the child welfare workforce - our nation's "first
responders" in protecting our children.
- Act on this Promise: We urge the President to
reject efforts to curtail the capacity of the federal government to
respond to or invest in vital human services and reject efforts to
set limits on programs that will cause them to shrink over time - to
serve fewer children and to serve them less well, regardless of
need.
- Keep this Promise: The President and Congress
should support federal budget proposals that would provide vital
treatment and safety services on an ongoing and consistent basis.
The federal government must not turn its back on children.
The President has called for a nation where every
American holds a stake in the promise and future of our great nation. He
has promised to work to give Americans greater freedom from want and
fear. An equally noble promise, Mr. President, would be to heed the
words of late Congressman Claude Pepper: "Don't forget about the
children." Established in 1920, the Child Welfare League of America is
the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare
organization. CWLA is committed to engaging people everywhere in
promoting the well-being of children, youth, and their families, and
protecting every child from harm. Headquartered in Washington, DC, CWLA
strives to advance sound public policy on behalf of the three million
abused and neglected children served by its more than 900 public and
private member agencies.
2 February 2005
Source
home /
Previous
viewpoint |
