Raising Children in the U.S.

The old African proverb, ôIt takes a village to raise a child,ö became popular in the United States in 1996 when Hillary Rodham Clinton used it as the title of her book that contended children are not rugged individuals, but dependent on adults they know as well as those they donÆt know who make decisions affecting their well-being. Clinton stated that the proverb offers ôa timeless reminder that children will thrive only if their families thrive and if the whole of society cares enough to provide for themö (Clinton, p. 7). There are forces in todayÆs society that both encourage and discourage the concept expressed in the proverb.

The reality is û and historically has been û that the United States, the richest most powerful nation in the world, does not provide the policies and services that assure the well-being of its children. For example, 23 industrialized countries provide universal health insurance and health care as well as a family allowance and child dependency grants but not the United States (State of AmericaÆs Children 2000, p. xi

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Approximate Word count = 835
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page)

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