Children in Jeopardy: Can We Break the Cycle of Poverty?In this compassionate and controversial book Irving Harris argues that the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, hopelessness, and violence is very early intervention: we must provide adequate caregiving to children from birth to age three and - to stop the cycle even sooner - we must discourage pregnancy among adolescents. Harris, a successful businessman, has devoted himself to children's causes for the past forty years and has initiated and funded numerous programs geared to children and families. He presents data from research in pediatrics, social work, nursing, psychology, and education showing that children who receive early nurturing and stimulation are far more likely to have success in school and in life. He urges that the government build more day-care centers and train more caregivers and public-health nurses for babies and small children; that schools offer instruction and counseling in prenatal care; and that there be easier access to contraceptives and abortions in order to reduced unwanted pregnancies. |
Contents
Raised in Jeopardy | 17 |
Successful Intervention and Its Limits | 37 |
Primary Prevention and the Right to Life | 76 |
The Cost of Failure | 105 |
S The Abortion Question | 120 |
A Reassessment | 146 |
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Common terms and phrases
abortion adolescents age five American babies born Beethoven Project behavior births to teenagers brain development Center Chicago Tribune chil child abuse child development children and families children born contraception cost crime CSCD cycle of poverty developmental dren drop-out drug DuSable High School early childhood development economic environment Erikson Institute failure Family Focus family planning federal fetus funded abortions funding for abortions graduate Head Head Start high risk high school Hispanic human Illinois increased infants intervention kindergarten living low-birthweight babies MDPH Medicaid Michigan months National nurturing Orr High School Ounce of Prevention percent poor women prenatal Prevention Fund problems programs public schools ready for school ready to learn relative poverty Robert Taylor Homes sexual activity social society success teachers teen teenage mothers teenage pregnancy tion United unmarried unwanted violence wedlock welfare young