THE ICHIGAN CITIZE
JA UARY 25 -31, 1 7
·7
OPINION I
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Prevent children having children \
By • n Wright Edelman
President, Children's Defen Fund
G.
to be supportin them lve
and le likely to become te n
parent
The importance of aiding
our children's development be­
fore they go to hool i no
becoming widely recognized.
In report i ued in Augu ,
the ational Governor' ci-
tion recommend that ate
provide quality programs for
four-year-olds and, here
po ible, three-year-olds as well.
In the past three ye rs four­
teen ates have p d legis­
lation that ts up or expand
ch program
Early childh od pro ram
must be able to rve both
parent and children well. or­
ing parent need full-day r­
vices which ac omm d te their
..J schedule. All children regard-
1 of h ther they are parti­
cipatin in full- or p rt-day
programs n ed ornprehensiv
and hi quality rvi e .
s the G
'The early year
life are the f und ti n
which all ill ill
If there ar
thi foundati n early de
and orre tion are e nti 1 to
future growth and Ie rrun ."
Our overnment mu t m e
the inve tment in .hild care.
He d Start and th r pr ram
for young children that an iv
every hild thi f un t1 n.
The pr bl m ill harder
and c stlier to fi J t r
rs. Edelman i pr
the Children' D 'fill F und, a
national voice for childr n.
•
There are many' e regarding race, economic and
politic hich are carefully avoided in social conver tion
becau they can be quit controversial. Opposing opinion
can clash like sword tearing friendship part and leaving a
trail of ho ile feelings and wounded egos.
Yet, if we don't ex chan e opinions with e ch other oUI
. ence become so loud that we can't he r our lves think
leaving us vulner ble to the opinion molding power of tele­
vision.
Fourtun tely, while televi 'on holds a threat in on hand
it holds the lution in the oth r. The TV Talk Sho , �
hich controversial topic are railed and thrown open for
di u 'on, h s becom the model for Talk Group in homes,
churches libraries, - wherever group can find pl ce to
ther and hold a discu . on.
The T Group avoids the usual pitfall of controversial
discu . on by posi an i u for di u . on, then using a book
s it inform tion urce d pivotal point. For example
on T Group po d the que ion: "Are we le ding our
children a tr y ith fal value?" a the i e to be di u d
and used the boo Linden Hills by Gloria aylor {Ticknor &
Field 19 5 as its information source. This is a novel which
tep do n hard on the toe of the Blac middle cIa it
pre nt some very recognizable char cters ho have chieved
cce but ho have 10 their souls in the proce The
T Group a ble to handle thi volatil i e, however
by directing their fiery agreements and disagreemmt toward
the characters in the boo , rather than to ard each other.
Like the TV Talk Sho , a panel of two or three people
rve the-t'experts" for the di u 'on, which keeps the Talk
Group from falJ.in& into a lecturer/classroom type tmo phere.
The panel read the boo , or certain parts of the boo and
gives a comp ct, three to five minute presentation of infor­
m lion from the boo hich addre s the i e under discu -
ion. The panel inter cts ith the audience not 10 much in a
que tion/an er type excb e, but in a aring of vie and
opinions. The panel's purpo is to present the author's views
and opinions as they relate to the di u . on.
Whil the Talk Group u the issue rather than the boo
a it centerpiece, the boo rves to eep the di u 'on from
flying off into all direction. It help hen the moderator
can keep the discu . n of the i e directed toward the book
so that di eemtnts do not become personalized.
The result of th growing trend in Talk Group is that
more people are g ining cee to the information and idea
found � boo s bile at the same time, they e being given
the opportunity to examine and exchange their own idea and
opinion.
. Organization eking to promote community inter ction
and in olvement might con ider using the Talk Group as a
vehicle. It promise to be the key to an informed and thinking
community.
ASH I GTO ( A)-
In trying to prevent teen preg­
nancy, which t e of child's
life is 'most crucial?
any adults would utoma-
tica1ly answer: the pre-teen
and teen year This is when
we usually become mo t ur­
gently concerned about child's
ri of too-early pregnancy and
parenthood.
But we cannot afford to
wait that long. Helping a child
to develop and �ow in the
crucial early years - birth to
five - ill improve· that child'
chance of becoming a healthy,
motivated teen. And we kno
that such a teen has a better
prospect of avoiding too-early
pregnancy and parenthood.
One important key to help­
ing lay a firm foundation for
a young child i stron e rly
childhood development exper­
i nee. Programs that help
child ren learn and that assist
their emotional and social de­
velopment pay ofT in later life,
re arch tell us. A twenty­
year follov up udy on gr d­
uates of one such program
found that. the children in it
were more likely to p,r duate
from high. hoi, more likely