Show Nation Failing Americas America's Families NAPS Parenting Parenting I-Parenting has never been easy but today's parents face some troubling new challenges That may account for the poor grade the nation received on a recent report card grading what was being done to help families survive and thrive The report card was researched and compiled by the YMCA of the ther r USA and presented to Congress to detail what the government could do to help Families today are facing ex extraordinary nary pressures pressures- pressures un affordable afford afford- able housing inaccessible health healthcare healthcare healthcare care and a deprivation of positive values As a nation we can and must do more to support our families families families lies said Kenneth L. L Gladish PhD Ph.D. national executive director YMCA of the USA Childhood was once thought of ofas as a time of gentle games like hopscotch hopscotch hopscotch hop hop- scotch and hide and seek Too often today children are exposed to vio vio- lence Images of such violent scenes as the school shootings in Littleton Colorado are hard to erase The existing generation is far more desensitized to violence than any other generation said David Walsh PhD Ph.D. president of the National Institute on Media and the theAU AU lF Family y y mi and YMCA advisor Who is to blame Is it parents working harder to make ends meet Or the increasing use of television as a babysitter resulting in an increased exposure to violent images The national report card made recommendations to help Americas America's Americas America's Americas America's Ameri Ameri- cas ca's families succeed Among the 25 recommendations were expanding available child care programs by providing more federal feder feder- al funding helping local health and community community community com com- organizations identify and prioritize community health issues and move medical services into neighborhoods increasing funding of ba based ed programs to prevent juvenile delinquency and develop youth A recent survey by the YMCA of the USA supports the report card findings with 81 percent of respondents respondents dents describing parenting as asmore asmore asmore more difficult than it used to be and virtually all of the parents describing the success of the family family family ly as important to the future of the nation Nations Nation's Report Card 1998 1999 Overall Grade D 0 D Child Care and D- D D Education Child Care Academic Education Morals Values Instruction Health D D Violence D 0 D 0 Media Violence Community Violence Family Violence Economic Conditions Conditions' 4 C- C u. f Income if t J. Shelter Jobs S The YMCA presented the annual annual annual annu annu- al report card as part of its commitment commitment commitment commit commit- ment to serving the critical needs of youth and families Currently million people of all ages and incomes are served YMCAs together constitute the largest child care provider in the serving country-serving 9 million children in school non-school hours Founded almost years ago 2283 YMCAs today make up the largest profit not-for-profit community organization in America To find out more about YMCA programs visit According to the YMCA the nations nation's largest provider of after- after school care Americas America's families need more support |