Maryland Children

Seven years ago, I wrote a piece about life with my son, who had recently been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, and the challenges we faced. Little did I know that in the course of researching that article — and upon learning about the huge (epidemic) number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders — my life's path was about to be forever altered. I went on to become executive director of Pathfinders for Autism, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to helping Maryland's families affected by autism — a position I was proud to hold for five years.

Maryland educators surely were elated by the U.S. Department of Education's announcement Tuesday that the state will be awarded $250 million in federal school aid from the Obama administration's Race to the Top contest, which frankly came as something of a surprise to many observers. During the first round of the competition back in January, Maryland had been such a long shot to win a share of the $3.4 billion in federal largess — created by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to encourage states to implement sweeping school reform — that state schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick thought it wiser to not even apply.

T he kidnapping and killing in December of 11-year-old Eastern Shore girl Sarah Foxwell was horrible enough by itself to spur Maryland's lawmakers to action - the man accused of the crime had been convicted of a series of sex crimes against girls and young women but had always eluded serious jail time. Throw in the fact that the crime occurred just before the General Assembly returned to Annapolis in an election year, and it's no surprise that more than 75 bills to crack down on sex offenders were introduced this year.

Monday was a particularly embarrassing day for President Barack Obama. His nominee for health care czar, Tom Daschle, withdrew from consideration after a tax problem, a dust-up that forced a first presidential "I messed up." Yesterday, President Obama had the chance to improve the lives of millions of low-income children in this country. He signed into law a bill that will extend health care insurance to kids whose families can't afford it. That should count as a particularly satisfying day. The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)

Maryland has made great strides in reducing lead paint poisoning among children and in improving the outdoor air they breathe, but more needs to be done to keep track of other environmental hazards and their links to kids' health, according to a report released yesterday by state health and environment officials. While pointing to previously reported decreases in the number of children with lead poisoning and an equally significant drop in ozone levels in Maryland, officials said they plan to better keep track of issues such as pesticide levels in children, their exposure to pharmaceuticals in water and where serious asthma cases are most concentrated.

Statistically, the most likely profile of a neglectful or abusive parent is a 30-year-old, college-educated white woman who has a job. Yet in Maryland, African-American children are far more likely than their white counterparts to be removed from their homes by child welfare officials because of maltreatment. A recent study by Advocates for Children and Youth, a group that lobbies for children's issues in Maryland, found that while African-Americans make up only a third of the state's children, they constitute nearly three-quarters of the children removed from their homes, and are five times more likely than white children to be placed in group or foster home care.

For children between the ages of 4 and 8 - too old for a child safety seat and too young or small for just a seat belt - a booster seat can be a lifesaver. Studies show that when combined with a shoulder belt, the booster seat can reduce serious injury in a crash by 60 percent. All of Maryland's neighboring states require boosters for children through the age of 7. It's time Maryland caught up. Under current state law, boosters are only required for children through age 5, regardless of weight, and for those who weigh 40 pounds or less regardless of age. That's just not adequate.

It's not surprising that Maryland has the lowest child poverty rate in the nation, according to the latest estimates from the Census Bureau. After all, the bureau also found the state to have the second-highest median household income, and another recent survey ranked Maryland as the nation's wealthiest state. None of these rankings, however, should encourage state officials or residents to become complacent. There are still significant pockets of poverty, most notably in Baltimore, where children and families need a lot of help.

From a Maryland perspective, the campaign to override President Bush's veto of legislation expanding access to health insurance for working-class children isn't going well. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid started out by leveling a thinly veiled threat at Republican Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett, the only Marylander to vote against the measure. But Mr. Bartlett has reveled in the attention, saying he was pleased to be identified as the only one who got it right. Meanwhile, a Baltimore family that volunteered to help make the case for the State Children's Health Insurance Program by sharing their personal story got slimed by conservative bloggers who questioned, quite rudely, whether they qualified for taxpayer help.