Putting Children First

Ours is the wealthiest country in the world. Yet our nation's commitment to children belies our great prosperity and wealth. One in six children lives in poverty, nationally only 12 percent of families eligible for child care assistance are lucky enough to receive it, and more than 9 million children under 19 do not have health insurance.

Early childhood development has been a passion of my wife Teresa and I for years. The earliest years of life are critical in shaping every child's future learning and development. You can't achieve reform of the public school system that Americans deserve and our economy demands without providing a healthy, safe, and supportive start for all children of pre_school age. We must take an approach to early childhood development programs and child care programs that reflects what we know to be true: children who begin school lacking the ability to recognize letters, numbers, and shapes quickly fall behind their peers. Students who reach the first grade without having had the opportunity to develop cognitive or language comprehension skills begin school at a disadvantage. Children who have not had the chance to develop social and emotional skills do not begin school ready to learn. I believe it is the obligation of government to ensure that all children have the opportunity to succeed.

Kerry's Record on Putting Children First...