And every May, when Mother's Day rolls around, we are inundated with soft-focus advertisements celebrating the family as the core unit of American life. Women are told from birth that being a mother is "the most important job in the world," that "children are our future." "All I am I owe to my mother," George Washington is said to have declared. On the surface, America has always professed to love its children, and those who raise them. The leading cause of death for American children and teens is gun violence.Īll of which raises the question: Why does America hate its children? In Oregon, where I live, children as young as 9 are allowed to do agricultural work, and many states are trying to loosen their already flimsy child-labor protections so teenagers can be forced to work longer hours. The US is the only member of the United Nations that hasn't ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which includes the right to be free from violence and labor exploitation. The shortage of foster families is so critical that many kids wind up being temporarily housed in settings like casinos, office buildings, and juvenile detention facilities. Children who are neglected - a loose term inextricably tied to poverty - are thrown into a foster-care system known for its propensity to harm children. Millions of children attend public schools that are literally falling apart. Infants are more likely to die in childbirth in America than in any other rich nation, and US newborns are more likely to grow up in poverty. Parents are being forced to leave big cities because they can't absorb the costs of childcare, while those in rural areas often can't find care at all.Īmerica's rampant child neglect doesn't stop with its lack of day care. Only one-third of American families can afford childcare, which consumes 27% of their income on average. America, by contrast, has no mandated paid parental leave. In Sweden, which offers single parents a staggering 480 days of paid parental leave, preschool costs no more than 3% of a family's gross income. Of the 38 countries that belong to the leading Western trade alliance, the US ranks No. Virtually every other industrialized nation provides more government aid for their children than America does. But the difference in how America treats its kids goes far beyond the "it takes a village" attitude that prevails in countries like Greece. It often indicates a user profile.Įvery country has its share of adults who pose a threat to children. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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