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S. Hrg. 102-48 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: OUR NATION'S PRIORITY HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CHTLDEEN, FAMILY, DRUGS AND ALCOHOLISM OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND HUMAN RESOURCES UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED SECOND CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON EXAMINING THE STATE OF THE AMERICAN FAMILY, FOCUSING ON CHILDREN'S HEALTH, CHILD WELFARE REFORM, EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, AND STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO AID WORKING PARENTS JANUARY 16, 1991 Printed for the use of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 41-334±5 WASHINGTON : 1991 ForsalebytheSuperintendentofDocuments,CongressionalSalesOffice U.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice,Washington,DC20402 COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND HUMAN RESOURCES EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts, Chairman CLAIBORNE PELL, Rhode Island ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah HOWARD M. METZENBAUM, Ohio NANCY LANDON KASSEBAUM, Kansas CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut JAMES M. JEFFORDS, Vermont PAUL SIMON, Illinois DAN COATS, Indiana TOM HARKIN, Iowa STROM THURMOND, South Carolina BROCK ADAMS, Washington DAVE DURENBERGER, Minnesota BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi JEFF BINGAMAN, New Mexico PAUL D. WELLSTONE, Minnesota Nick Littlefield, StaffDirector and ChiefCounsel Kristine A. Iverson, Minority StaffDirector Subcommittee on Children, Family, Drugs and Alcoholism CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut, Chairman CLAIBORNE PELL, Rhode Island DAN COATS, Indiana TOM HARKIN, Iowa ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah BROCK ADAMS, Washington NANCY LANDON KASSEBAUM, Kansas BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland JAMES M. JEFFORDS, Vermont JEFF BINGAMAN, New Mexico STROM THURMOND, South Carolina EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts DAVE DURENBERGER, Minnesota PAUL M. WELLSTONE, Minnesota Richard J. Tarplin, StaffDirector Stephanie Johnson Monroe, Counsel (II) CONTENTS STATEMENTS Wednesday, January 16, 1991 Page Dodd, Hon. ChristopherJ., aU.S. Senator from the State ofConnecticut 3 Harper, Valerie, board member, RESULTS, and co-founder, LIFE, Los Ange- les, CA 7 Prepared statement 10 Harrington, Paul E., associate director, Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University, Boston, MA; Sara S. McLanahan, professor of sociology and public affairs, Princeton, University, Princeton, NJ; Nicholas Zill, executive director, Child Trends, Washington, DC; Sherry C. Deane, deputy executive director, National Black Child Development Institute, Washington, DC; and Judith Wallerstein, executive director, Center for the Family in Transition, Corte Madera, CA 18 Prepared statements of: Mr. Harrington 22 Ms. McLanahan 55 ; Mr. Zill 60 Ms. Deane 69 Ms. Wallerstein 75 Lones, Regina and Jim, with Allison and Tyler, Meriden, CT; and Kathleen Scofield and son, Ernie, accompanied byTheresaThomas, Baltimore, MD 88 (in) CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: OUR NATION'S PRIORITY WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1991 U.S. Senate, Subcommittee on Children, Family, Drugs and Alcoholism, of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:08 a.m., in room SD-430, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Senator Christopher J. Dodd (chairman ofthe subcommittee) presiding. Present: Senators Dodd, Pell, and Hatch. Opening Statement of Senator Dodd Senator Dodd. The subcommittee will come to order. I'd like to welcome all of you here this morning for the first of a two-part series of hearings on children and families. Our first hearing today will focus on families in the 1990's; tomorrow's hearing will discuss policies to strengthen families. This follows, of course, yesterday's hearing by the Full Committee on Labor and Human Resources, conducted by Senator Kennedy, looking at the broad range ofissues affecting children and families in the 1990's. At any rate, today we begin work for the 102nd Congress with a set of hearings on the status of the American family in the 1990's and Federal policies to strengthen it. The crisis in the Persian Gulf is rightfully foremost in our thoughts today, but much as we must marshall all efforts toward a peaceful and just resolution there, we cannot in the meantime turn away from the daunting challenges that we face right here at home. Despite the surface prosperity, the 1980's were a tough decade for American families. Caught in an economic vise of declining real income and rising costs for basic necessities, families sent more members into the work force, took on more debt, and went without health insurance or home ownership. Poverty rates increased, especially among one-fifth of the children who today live below the poverty line. Middle-income families worked longer and sacrificed more just to stay even. Since average wages dropped 9 percent over the last decade, families kept up only by sending mothers with children into the work force. On average, each parent in a two-earner family works 3 weeks more every year than he or she used to. A (1) 2 down payment on a house now costs 50 percent of average annual income, up from 33 percent in 1978. Similarly, a year at a private college costs $14,000, up from $8,000 in 1967. The American dream of home ownership and a college education for your children slips further and further away. Profound changes in family structure have occurred as well. Almost three-quarters of children live in two-parent families. The most common family arrangement is for both parents to be in the labor force. Forty-two percent of children live in this arrangement, while 29 percent live in the traditional "Ozzie and Harriet" family. Over the decade, children living with one parent has increased from 20 percent to 24 percent, in large part because of the decline of long-term marriage. Divorce rates have stabilized since the 1970's, but at very high levels. Nearly one million children see their parents divorced every year. Pressures on families are tak—ing a very severe toll. We see many signs that families are in crisis child abuse, spousal violence, alco- hol and substance abuse, entry into foster care, and teen suicide are all on the rise. More subtle, but equally alarming, are studies that show greater difficulties in school and other facets oflife experienced by children from disrupted families. Despite these challenges, I believe that this decade and the next c.entury hold greater promise for the American family than ever before. Our Nation possesses great economic resources, if only these resources can be directed toward the well-being of our Na- tion's children and their families. We know what works. We have proven time and time again that early investment in health and education of children pays off tre- mendously over the long run. In communities across this country, programs that work have emerged. The bonds and caring traditionally provided by the immediate family are being supplemented, not replaced, but supplemented and strengthened by extended families and neighborhood-based services. Communities have found new ways to protect their most fragile families. Similarly at the national level, the goal of supporting America's families cuts across partisan lines. In the—last Congress we found broad support for policies to help children a landmark new Feder- al program for child care; expansion of Head Start; the expansion of Medicaid for poor children. In this Congress, we can build on that foundation and develop other innovative policies to help families help themselves. Government policy, and society in general, must put children and families first. — First, we must do more to keep the family together through family preservation programs and through changes in divorce law which emphasize children's needs. Second, we must provide better income support for at-risk fami- — lies by changes in tax policies for families with children and a child support system that assures benefits high enough to avoid poverty. Third, we must provide greater assistance for balancing work — and family through a national family leave policy and workplace programs likejob-sharing and on-site child care. — 3 Finally, we must strengthen public investments for our future through full funding for existing programs, better coordination of services for families, and adequate and secure funding over the long run, perhaps through a children's trust fund. Inherent in this approach is the notion that we must look at the family as a whole. We cannot claim to help the family through one policy while cutting back on assistance in another area. For this reason, I also intend to propose a short list of key indicators of the well-being of children and families, set goals for improvements in those areas, and hold ourselves accountable over the years. There can be no greater priority for our Nation than to strength- — en families all families. In their hands lies our survival today and for generations to come. [Prepared statement ofSenator Dodd follows:] Prepared Statement of Senator Dodd Welcome to the Subcommittee on Children, Family, Drugs and Alcoholism. Today, we begin our work for the 102nd Congress with a set ofhearings on the status ofthe American family in the 1990's and Federal policies to strengthen families, the crisis in the Per- sian Gulf is rightfully foremost in our thoughts today. But much as we must marshall all efforts toward a peaceful and just resolution there, we cannot in the meantime turn away from the daunting challenges we face right here at home. Despite the surface prosperity, the 1980's were a tough decade for American families. Caught in an economic vise of declining real income and rising costs for basic necessities, families sent more members into the work force, took on more debt, and went without health insurance or home ownership. Poverty rates increased, especially among the one-fifth ofchildren who today live below the poverty line. Middle-income families worked longer and sacrificed more just to stay even. Since average wages dropped 9 percent over the last decade, families kept up only by sending mothers with children into the workforce. On average, each parent in a two-earner family works 3 weeks more every year than he or she used to. A down payment on a house now costs 50 percent of average annual income, up from 33 percent in 1978. Similarly, a year at a private college costs $14,000, up from $8,000 in 1967. The American dream of home ownership and a college education for the children slips further and further away. Profound changes in family structure have occurred as well. Almost three-quarter of children live in two-parent families. The most common family arrangement is for both parents to be in the labor force. Forty-two percent of children live in this arrangement, while 29 percent live in the traditional Ozzie and Harriet family. Over the decade, children living with one parent have increased from 20 percent to 24 percent, in large part because of the decline of long-term marriage. Divor—ce rates have stabilized since the 1970's, but at very high levels nearly a million children see their parents divorced every year. The pressures on families are—taking a severe toll. We see many signs that families are in crisis child abuse, spousal violence, alco- 4 hoi and substance abuse, entry into foster care, and teen suicide are all on the rise. More subtle, but equally alarming, are studies that show greater difficulties in school and in other facets of life experienced by children from disrupted families. Despite these challenges, I believe that this decade and the next century hold greater promise for the family than ever before. Our Nation possesses great economic resources, if only these resources can be directed toward the well-being of our Nation's children. We know what works. We have proven time and time again that early investment in health and education of children pays off tremen- dously over the long run. In communities across the country, programs that work have emerged. The bonds and caring traditionally provided by the immediate family are being supplemented and strengthened by extended families and neighborhood-based services. Communities have found new ways to protect their most fragile families. Similarly, at the national level, the goal of supporting America's families cuts across partisan lines. In the last Congress we found broad support for policies to help children: a landmark new Feder- al program for child care, expansion of Head Start, and expansion of Medicaid for poor children. In this Congress, we can build on that foundation and develop other innovative policies to help families help themselves. — — Government policy and society in general must put children and fa—milies first. First, we must do more to keep the family together through family preservation programs and through changes in divorce law which emphasize children needs. S—econd, we must provide better income support for at-risk families through changes in tax policies for families with children and a child support system that assures benefits high enough to avoid poverty. Third, we must provide greater assistance for balancing work and — family through a national family leave policy and workplace programs like job sharing and on-site child care. Finally, we must strengthen public investments for the future—through full funding for existing programs, better coordination of services for families, and adequate and secure funding over the long run, perhaps through a Children's Trust Fund. Inherent in this approach is the notion that we must look at the family as a whole. We cannot claim to help the family through one policy while cutting back on assistance in another area. For this reason, I also intend to propose a short list of key indicators of the well-being of children and families, set goals for improvements in those areas, and hold ourselves accountable over the years. There can be no greater priority for our Nation than to strength- — en families all families. In their hands lies our survival today and for generations to come. I am delighted today to have with me Senator Orrin Hatch, the ranking minority member of the Full Labor Committee. Since this is our first time together in a formal setting as we begin the 102nd Congress, let me repeat what I said at the close of the last Con- gress, and that is that we would never have had a child care bill, would never have been able to accomplish what we did with Head Start or Medicaid without his help and support. There are a lot of people who can claim their involvement and support, and we ap- 5 preciate it immensely. But we were only able to achieve those results because Orrin Hatch decided it was important and waded in and made it possible. So for public record again let me say to him what I have said to him in private over and over again, and that is my deep appreciation and thanks for his commitment to American families and their children. It is a pleasure to have you here this morning. Opening Statement of Senator Hatch Senator Hatch. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate those kind remarks. Everybody knows the tremendous effort that you put forth in these areas, especially on child care. There were a lot ofpeople who did not think we would get a child care bill last year. We not only got one, but we got legislation that everybody can be proud of. But, it is only the beginning toward solving some of these problems. I don't know of a greater problem in America today than the problems that beset our families. We all—have different ideas on what will be the best approaches to take some of them are great ideas, some of them are less great. But the fact is that everybody on this Labor and Human Resources Committee is committed to trying to do what is best and in the best interest ofAmerican families. So I am very pleased that you are holding these hearings. I also want to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, for the outstanding wit- nesses that you have here today. I would like to welcome each and every one of you and express my appreciation for the efforts that you are putting forth. Ms. Harper, we have watched you through the years and have great admiration for you. I have watched what you have done for the homeless and for others in so many different ways, and it means a great deal to us to have you here this morning represent- ing RESULTS. I am on the Intelligence Committee, and I can't stay very long, so I hope you will all forgive me for having to leave. But I just wanted to come and pay my respects to the chairman and to each ofyou. I am very interested in these issues and want to do as much as I can to cooperate with my chairman here and further the work of those who really come up with ideas that are beneficial for the families in this country. So thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator Dodd. Thank you, Orrin, and we've got a terrific agenda for you this Congress, too. Senator Hatch. Yes, I understand. Senator Dodd. Are you getting nervous? Senator Hatch. I came from the last Congress nervous. [Laugh- ter.] Senator Dodd. By the way, I have sent around in the audience and to the press tables copies of the Family Report Card Chart. I can't read the chart from here, myself, and I'm sure you can't, but these indicators range from low birth-weight children down to children living with one family and examine statistically what has happened since 1960 in these areas. Generally, I would tell you 6 that the charts indicate some improvements in a number of areas. There is a tendency to say everything is getting worse and worse, but it is rea—lly not. In some areas there have been some real improvements for instance, in low birth-weight babies; it is fairly static, but it hasn't dropped as people might have assumed. And children graduating from high school actually is a little bit better, not much, by about three percentage points from where we were in 1960. The one statistic that, maybe more than anything else, shows you what has happened is children in poverty. In 1960, almost 27 percent were living in poverty, and in 1970, as a result of the war on poverty, that number dropped by almost 10 percent, where down to 15 percent of our children were living in poverty in 1970. The 1970's were sort of static, in 1980 it remained at 18 percent. It is now back up to 20.6 percent in 1987. So you can see that number has risen from 1970 to 1987. The other one I'd mention to you is children living with one parent, because that will highlight a reason why we have had so many difficulties in a lot of areas. In 1960, 9.1 percent of children were living with one parent only. In 1987, it is almost one in four, or 25 percent. So that is the most dramatic increase. But I would draw your attention to all those numbers. What we intend to do is to keep this up and remind people of where we are headed in these basic areas. I am delighted to welcome our first witness here this morning in these 2 days of hearings. She is obviously someone who is very well-known because of her remarkable accomplishments as an actor. But she is here today primarily because of her involvement and concern with children, dating back over a decade and a half. Not just as someone who shows up to help, which many people do, — and we applaud t—hem for doing that it will help draw attention to a particular issue but as someone who has waded in over and over and over again on one matter after another affecting children, both here at home and abroad. She is a member of the board of directors of RESULTS; the co- founder of LIFE, which stands for a program called "Love is Feed- ing Everyone,'' a program that feeds 100,000 people in the Los An- geles area every, single week. Valerie Harper can claim initial involvement and sponsorship ofthat particular effort. She has been involved in the United Nations World Summit on Children, where she did a tremendous job in focusing attention on this particular area. She has worked on The Hunger Project; the 1989 Housing Now march, in this city; and has been deeply involved with Save the Children for years. So we are delighted to welcome you here, in one capacity as a well-known performer, but more importantly, if I might say because of your commitment and your involvement and your dedica- tion to children and families and because you bring us first-hand knowledge of what needs to be done in this country ifwe are going to continue the progress we have seen in some areas and make life even better for what Governor Lawton Chiles called "the farm team of America" yesterday, which I think was a wonderful analo- gy.