It’s
better to be born in Poland. That’s the finding of a new UNICEF report on how
well children are faring in 24 OECD nations. The report ranks Poland among a
majority of countries that are doing a better job than the United States at promoting
child well-being.
According
to the report, “The
Children Left Behind,” the U.S., together
with Italy and Greece, takes the prize for inequality in child well-being. The report ranks child inequality across
three domains: education, health, and material well-being, calculating through
a variety of indicators how well children at the bottom are doing in comparison
with others. The United States comes in at 19th, 22nd, and
23rd worst, respectively.
It’s a dubious distinction that should provoke some national
soul-searching and invigorate our policy discourse.
The
premise of the UNICEF report is a test. It states that “the true measure of a nation’s standing is how well it attends to its
children—their health and safety, their material security, their education and
socialization, and their sense of being loved, valued, and included in the
families and societies into which they are born.”
The
report underscores that nations can study up and do better. It asserts that “‘falling
behind’ is policy-susceptible—the extent to which it is not unavoidable but
unjust.”
Child
inequality is also a major finding of the
latest Measure of America report. Spotlight
on Poverty and Opportunity was honored to co-sponsor the November launch of
the report at a Washington, D.C. conference moderated by journalist David
Brancaccio. The Measure of America report examines well-being trends within the
United States and offers insights into growing inequality. Using the American
Human Development Index, the report ranks all 50 states, 435 congressional
districts, major metropolitan areas, racial and ethnic groups, as well as data
on men and women. OOTS readers can also check out the Spotlight video interviews with the
co-authors of the Measure of America report and the event panelists.
As
we grapple with recession and recovery, as we tackle the budget deficit, it seems
wise to examine how each policy choice aggravates or mitigates child inequality
in our nation.
Posted by Jodie
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