Investing in the Future
Tobin Lichti
Psych 101
Jon Drummond
TU 11:05
Welfare and school reform are two of the most widely discussed issues in
politics today. Many people are calling for reduction or elimination welfare
programs as well as programs that provide breakfast and lunch at schools. They
argue that people should be able to provide for themselves and their children
with minimal government assistance, and spending other people’s tax dollars to
assist the less fortunate only makes the problem worse. The main problem with
this line of thinking is that it forgets about the children involved. Children
have no control over what family they are born into. Many are born into
situations, such as single parent families, where the families have no way of
giving their children a good chance of developing into healthy, well adjusted
adults. Something must be done to break this cycle, because besides helping
children to develop to their full potential, government assistance “saves
society the costs incurred when intellectually and socially impaired children
grow up to be intellectually and socially impaired adults”(Collins 59).
The need for some sort of assistance for many children became obvious to
me on a volunteer project I did in high school. The summer after my junior year
I took a trip to San Antonio with about twenty other students. We were divided
between two different projects, and I went to work in a summer day-care program
in an underprivileged area. The day-care was for children aged infant to
eighteen, and on an average day about 175 children would come through. They
only had two full time workers, and relied on volunteer groups that came through
about once or twice a month to help them. They used to have more workers, but
lacked the funding necessary to keep anyone on permanently. Many of the
children were dropped off before the center opened at 8:00 in the morning, and
the meals they received at the center were the only meals they got all day.
Almost all the children showed a great need for attention and affection. It was
this experience that made me realize that many children grow up without a real
chance at a decent life.
Helping children early is crucial. Much research has been done recently
on early childhood development, and there is much evidence that there are
windows of learning for the development of vision, feelings, language and other
things. A window of learning means that there is a certain period of time in
child development when the brain “demands certain types of input in order to
create or stabilize certain long-lasting structures”(Nash 53). This type of
research backs up the idea that helping kids as early as possible is very
important in order to insure proper development. The problem that arises is
that there are many families, especially single parent ones, that cannot afford
to stay at home or provide their children with quality child care. The current
welfare system does allow states to let the mother care for the infant for as
long as a year before they must seek a job, but most states require it much
earlier, as early as 12 weeks after the infant is born (Collins 60). I would
propose a system where the mother would be given a year before having to look
for a job. During this time she, along with her husband if still married, would
be required to attend weekly classes or counseling sessions that would teach
them nutritional, educational, and other care that is essential for the child to
reach its full potential.
After the age of one, a government funded program of day care needs to
be set up. This would allow underprivileged families to afford decent child
care. This could also help the conditions of the day cares such as the one I
described in San Antonio improve, insuring that the children are provided with
adequate care. Federal regulations about things such as the ratio of staff to
children and safety standards would improve the environment the children grow up
in, and in many cases be better than living at home.
Another concern in the development of children is proper nutrition.
School lunch programs that provide free or reduced lunches help many children
get their only decent meal of the day. Many areas are starting to provide
school breakfast programs, and this is being met with much opposition. People
feel that they shouldn’t have to use tax dollars to provide a meal for children
that they should receive before they get to school. But, the sad truth is that
many children aren’t given breakfast before they are sent to school. Some
research suggests that eating breakfast helps children perform better during
school hours by increasing their attention and motivation. Test scores and
sports performance of children who eat breakfast on a regular basis tend to be
higher than those of children who don’t eat breakfast (Wardlaw & Insel 640).
Most of the opposition to programs like the one I have proposed is based
on money. People simply don’t feel that it is necessary for their hard earned
tax dollars to be used to raise other peoples children. They also point to the
fact that there is no hard evidence that these types of programs will really
work. However, there is a certain urgency for something to be done to break the
cycle of poverty and stagnation. In referring to programs for young children,
Isabel Sawhill, a scholar at the Urban Institute has written, “The evidence is
always mixed. We simply do not know whether they work. In these cases, one
must weigh the risk of doing something and having it not work against the risk
of doing nothing and missing an opportunity to improve lives. It can be just as
costly to not fund a potentially successful program as it is to fund a
potentially unsuccessful one” (Collins 62). Helping children today is an
investment in the future of our country, and the potential rewards outweigh the
risks.
Bibliography
Collins, James. “The Day Care Dilemma”. Time. 3 Feb 97, pp. 58-62.
Nash, J. Madeleine. “Fertile Minds”. Time. 3 Feb 97, pp. 48-56.
Wardlaw, Gordon M. & Insel, Paul M. Perspectives in Nutrition. 3rd edition
Mosby-Year Book, Inc. 1996, p 640
Другие работы по теме:
Cover Letter Proctology Essay Research Paper Dear
Cover Letter: Proctology Essay, Research Paper Dear Mr. I am writing you this letter to ask you to write me a letter of recommendation for a college. I will be applying to many and would be honored to have a letter from you
Unnecessary Sacrifice Essay Research Paper Just as
Unnecessary Sacrifice Essay, Research Paper Just as we wonder how past civilizations could be so barbaric as to practice sacrifice, future generations may wonder how our society could be so barbaric as to sacrifice even the unborn. Thus abortion should not be made legal.
Yahoo Essay Research Paper Yahoo rode the
Yahoo! Essay, Research Paper Yahoo! rode the bull market Thursday, primarily on the strength of a report by Lehman Brothers, which raised its recommendation on the stock to a “Buy.”
BioTechnology Essay Research Paper The shortterm future
Bio-Technology Essay, Research Paper The short-term future of biotechnology in production agriculture looks bleak. The unattractive truth is that economics, not science can play a larger role in the future of biotechnology.
Curbo Company Essay Research Paper Curbo CompanyRecently
Curbo Company Essay, Research Paper Curbo Company Recently, Curbo Company has received a large sum of money from the estate of a former stockholder. Management is undecided about the most profitable means of investing this money. The Accounting Department has worked with the Engineering and Production Departments, and the Market Research Department is evaluating the alternatives available.
Impact Of Technology Essay Research Paper We
Impact Of Technology Essay, Research Paper We live in 21th century which century of develop, everyday, we hear and see many many new products. Some of them was made by a bad purpose, however, the futture will be better than today with impact of technology for serveral reasons.First of all, in future robots will instead of people to do monotonous, hard and risk work.
English Class 009 Essay Research Paper I
English Class 009 Essay, Research Paper I am taking English 009 to benefit me in the future. It gives me the skills I need to succeed. I would be able to write a paper; because of the writing skills I have learned in English 009. From studying hard, my grammar could be improved. I would be offered a teaching position as a substitute teacher for English because of my experience in English 009.
Seregas Essay Essay Research Paper The life
Seregas Essay Essay, Research Paper The life stories of many today s New Yorkers are amazingly similar and different at the same time. For those of us who can call New York our new home, the choice to move to this city has certainly been one of the most important decisions of our lives. Whether or not we came from fifty or five thousand miles away, the hopes for success and brighter future were the sources of our motivation.
Discovering The Future Essay Research Paper Discovering
Discovering The Future Essay, Research Paper Discovering the Future “Values are the way you measure the rightness of your vision” Before I saw the video, I told myself “oh no this one of those boring videos again that makes you fall to sleep” but I was wrong. I found the video “discovering the future” quite interesting.
Future Plans Essay Research Paper Scholarship Essay
Future Plans Essay, Research Paper Scholarship Essay”Did life exist on Mars?”"What would it take to build a spaceship that could travel at the speed of light?”"When will the moon be colonized?”These are just some of the questions that wander through my mind all day. Fascinated by the secrets of the universe, I yearn to uncover mysteries.
Canadian GDP Essay Research Paper The output
Canadian GDP Essay, Research Paper The output or GDP of Canada has increased from 1995 to 1999. This means that more people became employed or productivity has risen. With the GDP on the rise, Canada is able
Diminishing Returns Essay Research Paper Law of
Diminishing Returns Essay, Research Paper Law of Diminishing Returns The Law of diminishing returns is a key one in economics. It is used to explain many of the ways the economy works and changes. It is a relatively simple idea; spending and investing more and more in a product where one of the factors of production remains the same means the enterprise will eventually run out of steam.
Barnes Vs Amazon Essay Research Paper Amazon
Barnes Vs. Amazon Essay, Research Paper Amazon and Barnes and Noble In the decision of investing in Amazon or Barnes and Noble, I recommend neither. Looking at the present state of both companies, neither displays good, strong expectations of profits. Instead, I see both companies with low projected earnings growth ratios and negative cash flow.
Blade Runner Essay Research Paper Blade RunnerThis
Blade Runner Essay, Research Paper Blade Runner This movie was very similar to the many other shall we say ?alien? movies out there. This movie may have been more correct with what may happen in the future. There wasn?t any explosions or planets blowing up, or anything as drastic as that. It was a more subtle thought of what happens if aliens really do take over.
President Clinton Essay Research Paper The content
President Clinton Essay, Research Paper The content of President Clinton’s speech was elaborated and over zealous. His focus was directed on three topics: the past, the present, and the future. In the introduction, he started by addressing the challenges that will be bestowed upon us in the next century.
Social Security Essay Research Paper Social securityThe
Social Security Essay, Research Paper Social security The issue I am addressing today is what to do about social security. There is going to be a large problem with our social security in years to come. Both Al Gore and Bush
Goals Essay Essay Research Paper In the
Goals Essay Essay, Research Paper In the following paragraphs I will be discussing my career goals and the steps I have taken to ensure my success in the future. I also will do a character profile of myself, which will include physical, emotional, and spiritual descriptions.
Labor Forces Essay Research Paper The Massachusetts
Labor Forces Essay, Research Paper The Massachusetts AFL-CIO has partnered with the Massachusetts Business Roundtable to examine the future role of workforce training and education programs in the Commonwealth.
A Moment Essay Research Paper A moment
A Moment Essay, Research Paper A moment exists in what we call time. Time in itself, is a figment of our imagination. The only part of time that actually exists is the present moment. All other moments become memory or expectation, leaving them to be non existent. In truth, the present moment is the only part of time that can be experienced by the six senses.
Investing Online Essay Research Paper Personal Investing
Investing Online Essay, Research Paper Personal Investing with Computer Technology Introduction Computer technology has revolutionized the way people can invest their money. Online trading has become the newest fad for people trying to get more bang for their buck. Virtually anyone with access to the Internet can set up an online brokerage account.
Macbeth Essay Essay Research Paper Macbeth
Macbeth Essay Essay, Research Paper Macbeth – Tragic Villain or Victim Of Fate The story of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is one of many tragic plays he composed. Macbeth is about a sadistic general that takes a prediction to the limits. In most stories, we root for the good guys…but in this story, get ready to root for the dark side.
Index Funds Essay Research Paper With the
Index Funds Essay, Research Paper With the growing popularity of index funds, one might be confused as whether to choose index funds or to use traditional money managers. If you are looking for an investment with low risk and a long term return that follows the market, then index funds is the choice for you. In fact, most private investors are better off investing in index funds.
Taxable Bond Market Outperformed The U.S. Stock
Market Essay, Research Paper For the first time since 1990, the taxable bond market, as measured by the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index, appeared nearly certain to outperform the U.S. stock market, as measured by the S&P 500?. The former was up nearly 10% year to date through November, while the S&P 500 was down by approximately the same amount.
Personal Goals Essay Research Paper Personal GoalsThis
Personal Goals Essay, Research Paper Personal Goals This is an essay about my personal goals that I have set for myself. I have set many different goals in my life. Some goals are more important than others, but all
Lincoln Application Essay Essay Research Paper Now
Lincoln Application Essay Essay, Research Paper Now is a time to make decision in life that will help me succeed in the future. The decision is to choose the right high school that will help me meet my goals and prepare me for college. A school that can train and give me all the tools I need to be an international business.
Investing In The Millenium Essay Research Paper
Investing in the Millenium The stock market has been the major backbone in American and international earning since its origin. There have been major inclines and also, many major declines in the history of the stock market. Commonly, the best-known stock exchange is the New York Stock Exchange. Nasdaq, ASCAP, the Dow Jones Industrial, to name a few.
The Digital World Essay Research Paper Today
?The Digital World? Essay, Research Paper Today we live in ?the digital world?, the internet reins supreme it?s the future, the next frontier. The age of digital music is upon us mp3s ras wmas etc. and along with all this is a means to share it. File shareing services and software. It is now possible to go online type in the name of the song wanted and download it.
How To Writing A Research Essay Essay
, Research Paper How To Writing A Research Essay The toughest part of the essay, for me, was taking all the information I had gained and reduce it to a mere few pages essay. After all, quality is better