By Patricia Villers, Register Staff

ANSONIA — Thousands of children in Connecticut are living in poverty, and such an environment makes them vulnerable to illness and falling behind in school.

That was the message from Elaine Zimmerman, executive director of the Connecticut Commission on Children.

The recession has created a “dire situation for children,” Zimmerman said. She addressed about 40 educators, community leaders and experts in the field of early childhood education during a breakfast Monday at John J. Sullivan’s restaurant.

The event was held in celebration of the 80th anniversary of National Child Health Day, said Cara Mocarski. It was held by The Early Childhood Task Force of The Valley Council for Health and Human Services, and supported by the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund.

Zimmerman, of Hamden, explained the impact of the economy on children.

“Poor children fall into illness and don’t do as well in school. There are 35,000 children falling into poverty in our state,” she said.

Living in poverty leads to low birth weight, stunted growth, asthma and obesity, among other issues, and poor health in parents, she said.

“In Connecticut 3,444 households experience homelessness,” Zimmerman said. She has seen many families losing their homes because of the recession.

“One of five children in Connecticut are hungry. Good nutrition is like a good antibiotic or vaccine, it prevents illness,” she said.

“We’re now seeing middle class and working class families going to food pantries,” she said, because of unemployment or underemployment. Continued...

• 1
• 2
• See Full Story

Studies have found children who have a low birth weight don’t perform as well in school, Zimmerman said, which underscores the importance of prenatal health care and good nutrition.

She said one out of four children enters kindergarten without exposure to formal learning in preschool. It is recommended that children have two years of prekindergarten before they enter school, she said.

Zimmerman said because of the economy, there is an increase in parents relying on “informal care” for their children, provided by a neighbor or a boyfriend. That in turn correlates to a higher incidence of infant deaths, she said.

Zimmerman praised those in attendance for their work as leaders and organizers. “Stay as tightly together as you can,” Zimmerman urged those in attendance. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

Cathy Williams, director of the Derby Public Library, said much of what Zimmerman cited “was disturbing.” But she said she was heartened by the knowledge that people in the Valley will always come together and work toward a common goal.

Patricia Villers can be reached at pvillers@nhregister.com.

• 1
• 2
• See Full Story

• 1
• 2
• 3
• See Full Story

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• See Full Story

• Return to Paging Mode