Save The Children
I have been studying the Save the Children website. Save the children is committed to conducting programs and operations in a manner that keeps children safe and protects them from harm. They are worldwide, however this week I chose to focus on something that is related to something closer to home for me. Recently they published their U.S. COMPLEMENT TO THE END OF CHILDHOOD REPORT 2017. It explains and breaks down by area, which state where childhood is at risk. Because these children have encountered events or circumstances – “childhood enders” – that have robbed them of their childhoods. Childhood enders can come in many forms: poor health, severe malnutrition, child abuse, an incomplete education, early pregnancy, homelessness, drug or alcohol abuse, exposure to extreme violence or engagement in criminal activity, to name a few. I feel that this is specific to my current professional development because I am not only passionate about preserving childhood for children but I am also passionate about helping parents to understand how and why childhood is delicate. In reading this report, I was literally brought to tears and thought of all of the children that experience some sort of trauma in their everyday life.
See the chart below to see in comparison the top & bottom 10 states
Save the Children’s first annual End of Childhood State Ranking reveals children in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont are far more likely to experience safe, secure and healthy childhoods than children in Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Each state’s rank was determined by averaging its ranking for the five childhood enders considered in this review.
Alarming reasons childhoods are diminishing
The information about how and why childhood is ending is scary. There are many statistics in this article that show how the change needs to be made. For politicians, economists, and neuroscientists to have their dreams come true they are facing an uphill battle here. These facts are very alarming and this is exactly why changes have to be made. Just like in the article from RAND, these are all of the reasons that it costs more to solve problems that are preventable.
States differ greatly in their ability to protect childhood. The End of Childhood State Ranking explores this variation across states, revealing where and how children are being robbed of the childhoods they deserve. Save the Children hopes this report will stimulate discussion and action to ensure that every last child fully experiences childhood.
Sophia Chang
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for expanding and sharing your resource on Save the Children end of childhood report. The statistics were important to learn, but also the childhood enders that you listed are essential for supporters of early childhood to understand the obstacles they face to develop policies and programs to combat these issues. I look forward to reading more about the Save the Children organization and how we can advocate for childhood.