Dr. Irwin Redlener's blog

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“The president made a strong case for universal early education in America, along with raising the minimum wage. But his commitment to eliminate extreme poverty and save children from preventable deaths was focused on children of the world. All of this is, of course, laudable.

(Read more at Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity)

(Read more on USAToday.com....)

(read more on Dr. Redlener's blog on Huffington Post....)

With 22% of children in America living in poverty, millions regularly go hungry and struggle for access to medical care and early education programs.  And these adversities may interfere with optimal brain growth in early childhood and learning impediments during school years. That’s why I have been helping organize an effort involving six of the nation’s leading child advocates to give voice to this critical issue.

As part of this effort, we wrote President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney last month to ask what they intended to do from the White House – short-term and long-term – to address the extraordinary challenges of kids stuck in multiple adversities of persistent poverty.

They won’t be in a ring, and no punches will be thrown, but the sparring match between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan could shape up to be a heavyweight affair.  After the first presidential debate changed the contour of the race so dramatically, it will definitely be fascinating to see who comes out on top tonight - and how it affects the race overall.

We will certainly be watching - and listening - closely to see if the issue of child poverty makes an appearance.  We’ve been doing everything possible to get this question into the mix.  And it should be there - because the voters want to know about where the candidates stand.

In a nationwide Public Opinion Strategies poll on behalf of First Focus Campaign for Children, 82 percent of American adults say that the candidates’ positions on child well-being will affect their vote and 63 percent say both candidates are not paying enough attention to children’s issues in the campaign.

So it makes political sense.  And it makes sense for America. Children’s Health Fund recently posted a paper charting the lack of progress in addressing child poverty in the U.S. during the past quarter century.  And this failing points to a looming disaster for this nation’s ability to grow, prosper and lead on the world stage.

by Irwin Redlener, MD, Co-Founder and President, Children's Health Fund

The midterm elections have changed the political landscape of our country, but what does this mean for kids?  We watched the midterm elections closely here at Children's Health Fund, and remain committed to the idea that engaging new members of congress, educating them on child health coverage and access issues and encouraging their support for policies and programs that ensure that children get the services they need is the best course of action. 

This past year has seen tremendous gains for kids in terms of health insurance coverage.  Reforms that expand coverage to reach more kids, strengthen the workforce and community based care and ensure the quality of care children receive benefit all Americans and are a sound investment in our country’s future.  We will be vigilant in working to defend these gains now and in the future. 

We hope we can count on you to join us.

A recent study published in the prestigious journal, Health Affairs, underscored some of the grim realities associated with the persistent recession and the loss of jobs in the United States. The study reports that for every 1,000 jobs lost by a parent in 2000-2004, 311 children with private insurance lost health coverage.  The situation is even more dramatic for low-income children. For every 1,000 jobs lost by an economically disadvantaged parent, 456 low-income children with private insurance lost health coverage.  And, the highest rates of losing coverage (40%) were seen among Hispanic children whose parents become unemployed. These are troubling statistics given that lack of health insurance can delay a child's health care which, even for a short time, can mean a lifetime of consequences.