Kids: Recession's Overlooked Victims

(CBS)  The recession's impact is wide-ranging and felt in all corners of the nation, and all circles of society.

As CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric pointed out on The Early Show Monday, "(CBS News) has reported on every aspect of this recession, practically -- on businesses, on the effect it's having on institutions, the banking crisis, the mortgage crisis."

But what about our nation's children?

Couric formally began a network-wide initiative -- a special series called "CBS Reports: Children of the Recession."

Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez said "Children of the Recession" is an "event we're very proud of, in association with our print partner, USA Today. ... It looks at the suffering that the recession is causing our children and the solutions that some people have found.

"A new CBS News poll found nearly four-in-ten parents say the recession is affecting the lives of their children. Nearly a-third of parents say the recession has had a lot of impact on their family. And at some point over the past six months, 60 percent of parents have had to tell their kids they might not have as much money to spend as they used to. Two-thirds of parents believe children lacking health insurance is a very serious problem.

"We will focus on all of this, this entire week. We'll have reports on The Early Show," on CBS News Sunday Morning, Weekend News, CBS Radio, our partners at USA Today and, of course, on The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

Couric explained that CBS News was approached by Irwin Redlener, director of the Children's Health Fund, which does medical outreach to underserved communities, and he "talked to us about this underreported story about the impact the recession is having on our youngest citizens. You know, there's the baby boomers, and 'Gen-x,' and we wondered if this generation is going to be known as 'The Recession Generation." '

"Children of the Recession" will look not only at the suffering the recession is causing for our nation's young, but at solutions some people have found. The economic crisis can affect all aspects of our children's lives, including their health, psychological development, education, housing, and medical care.



Children don't have the voice adults have. This week, CBS News will give children that voice, taking you inside the lives and the hearts of children facing an economic crisis that holds their future -- and in many ways, our future -- in the balance.

On The Early Show, Couric previewed a piece she did for Monday's Evening News on a program called Safe Families, which steps in when a parent simply can't afford to take care of their children. It harkens back to the Great Depression, when kids were sent away while parents got back on their feet. "Safe Families" enables parents experiencing a temporary crisis to arrange for their children to stay with a Safe Families volunteer family.

Couric told Rodriguez "Children of the Recession" will also be looking at the psychological impact of the recession -- at "teens who want to talk about it, even if their parents are trying to protect them. We'll meet some terrific teachers who describe how they see students less able to focus on school work when there are money troubles at home, and how they are trying to help kids as best they can, even spending their own money to buy a prom dress, or pay for a test. We'll meet children who are homeless and making the best of it.

"So there's heartbreak, but hope, too."

[tchrprofsr]

I'd say advocacy and/or jounalism that supports children is crucial. As a country, we have spent too much time, effort, and money on only courting those people and businesses that vote and lobby. Just remember, the child you educate and care for today may be the nurse, doctor, or banker that helps you tomorrow. The child you fail to educate and care for today may be the adult you build prisons for tomorrow. It is our responsibility to take care of our children. Not only are they our future, they are our gifts.

[citizen77]

I totally agree with the first comment on this page. I live in "low cost housing" where I struggle each month after loosing my job and my husband having his hours cut. We have 3 kids and each month are closer to loosing everything. We spend the highest amount in "low cost housing" $1600 a month. It would not bother me so much except for the fact that 97% of my complex of 112 units are of hispanic desent. No problem with that except that the adults who live in the units are illegal but the kids were born here so they get to stay. They pay anywhere from $10-$900 a month in rent drive BMW and brand new SUV's work under the table for cash, PAY NO TAXES and get welfare. I have a friend homeless with 2 kids living in her car with her husband on our waiting list for an apt for 2 years, and yet people who are not citizens have never paid taxes, DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH get to benefit from our government. GET THEM OUT OF THIS COUNTRY I DONT CARE HOW! Do you think if you were homless in Mexico anyone would help you get low cost housing, hell even give you free food or health care?

[dragyn30]

Get the illegals the H E L L out of this country so we can take care of our own!

Maybe these kids whose parents had to give them up can get jobs if the illegals were not stealing the jobs away. It is not enough to go after employers who hire illegals, we need to clamp down on them too!

Why should we keep paying for them when our own citizen suffer. It is high time the USA took care of its own.

[rr212]

This is not journalism...it's advocacy.

[brendett]

Our nation children in a Recession, Its not really a recession I would call it a depression!
The United States one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
Why did our federal government let this happen?
Children living in tent cities.
I am very ashamed of our United States federal government at the moment.
Are we becoming a third would country soon?

Thank you for this story Katie Couric & CBS cant wait to watch it with my family.
I want to show my children how stupid a very rich country called the United States once apon time can become so low to the earth if we let greedy big bankers take over this country and the value of a dollar gets in the way of being less than a human ...
Children are the ones who suffer more for the adults mistakes that's done by large companies!
Wallstreet and big banks CEO's don't care what they have done because they have a house and a warm bed too sleep in with lots food to eat.
These wallstreet and big bank CEO's are less than human being in my eyes now.
We must never trust them again with our country and our monetary system.
ITS A BIG MISTAKE!!
PEOPLE REMEMBER THIS IN THE FUTURE YEARS TO COME! WHAT WALLSTREET AND BANKS CAN DO TO US THEY CAN BANKRUPT THE NATION BY THE FLICK OF A PEN! They do hold the key to our monetary system!