Expendable Children

In spite of alarming statistics about the status of children in the United States, there is little evidence of a public commitment that addresses the various dimensions of the problem (e.g., poverty, abuse) in a systematic, integrated, and long-term way. It is argued that this is because very poor children contribute disproportionately to these statistics and that they have become expendable within the context of contemporary economic trends. Examination of a variety of programs addressing children's issues illustrates that many of these have the effect of further marginalizing young people. Suggestions on how to reverse these trends are discussed.