Katie Couric's Notebook: Children of the Recession
(CBS)
That is too much of a burden for any child to bear.
Since the recession began, more than one million children have lost health insurance as their parents lose their jobs.
One in 50 American children is homeless, and as more homes go into foreclosure that number will rise.
Beginning next week, CBS News will show you the suffering the recession is causing children, and the solutions some people have found, like a program that provides temporary placement for kids whose parents just can't make ends meet, and a high school where teachers are spending their own money to pay for their students' test fees, prom dresses, in some cases, even food.
Our economy impacts banks and bottom lines, but at CBS News we're making a network-wide commitment to shine a spotlight on people we cannot afford to ignore: the Children of the Recession.
That's a page from my notebook.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
A military occupation not only provides meals, a steady income, but housing, which in turn provides economic stability in an unstable economy. These benefits allow youth to have a responsible, yet healthy and comfortable household to live in who might otherwise be living with others undesirably because a single lifestyle is unaffordable. Lately, unemployment insurance claims are at an all time high as workers from all walks of life are laid off. Additionally seniors are working beyond retirement years because pension checks don?t buy as much. As a result, competition for jobs is greater, especially for ARY, who are just joining the labor force with less education and experience; thus less job opportunities with benefits.
However, youth do have an option and advantage because they can apply to the Army, which is not available to older adults, or children. Youth will find the Army as one of the most diverse employers offering free training opportunities to those who qualify. Hence, once qualified for Basic Training, which develops discipline, and Advanced Individual Training, which teaches a particular specialty; there is on-going military training to include military career courses, and college tuition assistance for civilian degree programs. Thus, the Army can offer training and educational benefits, which lead to promotion, job satisfaction and security. Equally important is soldiers? off-duty time. The opportunity to develop friendships with colleagues, neighbors, local nationals, and expatriates throughout the communities based on military affiliations is unlimited. The global and social networks can lead to huge successes and satisfaction in soldiers? personal lives also. Soldiers could develop a quality lifestyle with lifelong memories full of excitement beyond retirement. Also there is a sense of belonging and camaraderie to a community in a world where crime and terrorism exists. In a weak economy crime tends to rise in schools, in the work place, inner cities, and suburbs as people experience dissatisfaction with their lives and jobs and want to harm others; thus having friends and contacts globally becomes very important in order to survive in any potential hostile environment. The risks of course with the Army is that we are at war and soldiers could get wounded in a hostile environment. We don?t know what the odds are that all soldiers will go to war and be wounded because not all soldiers go into the battlefield and for those that do, not all get wounded. However, in the case of an emergency, or routine appointment, medical services, treatment, and facilities are available. No one can predict the future on maintaining safety and wellness for anyone, to include for family members of active duty soldiers who are also eligible for medical care. Moreover, wounded soldiers are surviving and successfully resuming their lifestyles as soldiers or civilians due to the expedient medical attention made available through modern technology and the Wounded Warrior Program. So, consider what ARY will gain versus what ARY will gain if they remain at-risk and become At-Risk Adults. I have personal experience as an ARY, and through the military I have maintained steady employment to include working at the Pentagon and not in a war zone; purchased four homes; received bachelor & master degrees; remained healthy, and made life-long friends from all over the world. Joining the Army is a step in the right direction, so why not become great American soldiers who took a risk and survived regardless of the global economy. Major Marcia Pierce, Student, CGSC, USA Combined Arms Center, Ft Belvoir, VA. 20 MAY 2009. ?The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the DA, DoD, or the USG.
If you care about children in health reform, go to speaknowforkids.org and tell Congress why you care. Share your story. Get engaged. Don't let kids be left out of health care legislation that is being developed right now and will impact ALL children.
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I certainly would not want anyone to lose their job and I agree 100% to Love your kids. But I do have to wonder.....you still seem to have the internet?!?! Perhaps you could save a little money for your kid if you dropped internet service. Maybe if you have cable internet you could drop that expense as well. Cable/Internet has got to be over $100 a month.
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WRONG!!!!
This is a blatant lie that the media tried to pass a few months ago. There are ~50,000,000 children in this country and for this stat to be true there would be 1,000,000 kids walking the streets. That is NOT happening and is a complete lie. They consider kids living with a relative as "homeless"!
President Herbert Hoover
The upcoming CBS News series on Children of the Recession will be a very important and timely report that will make us more aware of the problems causing children to suffer during these troubled economic times, and provide information about appropriate responses and solutions ,and steps we can take to improve the lives of children suffering during this recession as well.