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Statement of Shay Bilchik in Response to the President's State of the Union Address
1/28/2003
Washington, DC - Children are taught that actions speak louder than words. Tonight, we heard the President in his State of the Union address say that we must ensure " every child in America can read, learn, and succeed in life" and that we must " focus the resources of government on the needs of our most vulnerable citizens, our boys and girls." Those are welcome words, but they must now be backed up by meaningful actions. The safety and well-being of our children must be a national priority.
Recent newspaper headlines report incidents of how we as a country are failing to protect our children from abuse and neglect. These stories reveal that new investments are needed to sustain and strengthen the comprehensive community-based systems of support that secure the safety of all children, especially those children who have been victims of abuse and neglect. These new investments are vital and should not be considered optional.
Our nation - much like our families, our cities, and our states - is facing ever greater challenges with more limited resources. Difficult choices confront the President, Congress, and the country as the 2004 budget process begins. This is a true test of our values, and a real opportunity for our nation's leaders to put words into action. If we are serious about investing in our future-our children-then we must invest in programs that protect children from being abused and neglected, provide children with essential services such as health care and child care, and ensure that every child receives a quality education.
Tonight, President Bush spoke eloquently of the importance of homeland security. We agree. Homeland security is a vital objective, but we know that our homeland will never truly be secure if our children are not safe from abuse and neglect, if they are not adequately clothed and fed, housed and educated. Tonight, all across this country, far too many of our children are not safe and secure in their homes. The question is how we as a nation can do a better job? How are we going to translate words into actions? How are we going to respond to the needs of our nation's children?
The "first responders" in the nation's battle to protect our children are working with children and families in the day care centers, schools, health care centers, community centers, and social services agencies in communities across this country. They cannot do this vital work without the necessary tools and supports.
Our federal and state governments must work together to sustain and strengthen the efforts of those "first responders" working with families to meet the basic needs of our children. The federal government must step forward and along with the states protect our children from harm. Without additional federal help, already overburdened states facing fiscal crises will be unable to protect our children.
Actions do speak louder than words. As the 2004 budget debate begins, we urge the President and the Congress to act in the best interest of our children, which is in the best interest of our nation's future.
Established in 1920, the Child Welfare League of America is the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization. Headquartered in Washington, DC, CWLA strives to advance sound public policy on behalf of the more than three million abused, neglected, and vulnerable children served by its 1,182 public and private member agencies.
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