My great grandmother hid in a pile of hay to escape Russia. Soldiers randomly bayoneted the haystacks, lest any Jews take refuge there to escape the pogrom.
Grandma, and by extension I, got lucky. She made it to the United States, a place that has never been without anti-Semitism. But it offered her something that Russia did not – a chance.
Our country’s 247-year-old experiment was started by a group of white, Christian, propertied men, some of whom claimed to own other human beings. It was always flawed. But it has consistently moved toward inclusion. The framers realized that the Constitution would not suffice without a Bill of Rights, which among other things protected religious minorities. Their great-grandchildren fought a war to end slavery. In the next century, women’s right to vote would be recognized. As more people got a chance to thrive and fully use their gifts, the United States rapidly grew in influence and wealth. The whole country has always benefitted when it advanced toward a more perfect union where everyone has a fair chance to succeed.
Today America’s moral and highly practical tendency toward giving more people the chance to thrive is at risk.
Nearly half the children born in this country are beginning their lives in deprivation. The research is conclusive that poverty interferes with child development, particularly in the first three, critical years of life. Though the potential of every child is astounding, the reality is that growing up in poverty decreases educational attainment, wages, health, and even life expectancy. America is ceasing to be the place where everyone has a chance.
When I was a social worker serving families in deep poverty, I noticed that many could not afford enough diapers to keep their children clean, dry and healthy. At the time there was no government assistance for diapers, as is still the case in most U.S. communities, so I started a nonprofit to give them to families. As more “diaper banks” formed across the country, a number of studies over the years yielded the same statistic: 1 in 3 families could not afford the diapers their children needed.
Our most recent national study, however, found that the number is now closer to 1 in 2. Fully 47% of young families in this country experience diaper need. Along with research on how many families cannot afford diapers, we have participated in many studies that look at what that means for the health and wellbeing of children.
Even small investments in our children make a huge difference. We have found that when families receive diapers from a diaper bank, children have more access to early childhood education. Because they are a requirement for attending childcare, diapers allow parents to go to work and school more consistently and better support their families. They spend the money they save on diapers on a variety of things that help their children do better, most often on more and healthier food. Without the stress of diaper need, adults report spending more time in positive interactions with their babies. Developmentally, this is pure gold. Every investment made in our children increases their chances to thrive, now and later. Few people will dispute that. And yet.
The refundable child tax credit brought child poverty to a record low. Yet Congress refused to continue this investment. During the recent debt ceiling debate, the nation decided not to raise taxes even on the wealthiest, nor to look for bloat in the Pentagon, but to limit investment in children, even to the point of increasing child hunger. That political drama ended with an agreement to limit funding for food stamps (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), cash assistance for families and other essential programs at less than the rate of inflation, a de facto cut.
Every immigrant believes that better is possible. Most come determined that better is their children’s birthright. With nearly half of U.S. children are born into need, the dream that still draws people to this country is dying. The single most patriotic thing that we can do is invest in our children. When the fireworks are all over, my fondest hope is that we get back to this essential business of making America a place of possibility, for everyone.