§ 42-72.3-2. Legislative declaration.
The general assembly finds and declares that:
(1) In 1986 twenty-one (21) Rhode Island children were born to mothers under the age of
fifteen (15), fifty-nine (59) children to mothers age fifteen (15), one hundred eighteen
(118)children to mothers age sixteen (16), and two hundred seventy (270) children
to mothers age seventeen (17); and
(2) Each year in Rhode Island, one in four (4) infants, or over three thousand (3,000),
are born into poverty; and
(3) An insightful 1986 report, "Investing in our c
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§ 42-72.3-2. Legislative declaration.
The general assembly finds and declares that:
(1) In 1986 twenty-one (21) Rhode Island children were born to mothers under the age of
fifteen (15), fifty-nine (59) children to mothers age fifteen (15), one hundred eighteen
(118) children to mothers age sixteen (16), and two hundred seventy (270) children
to mothers age seventeen (17); and
(2) Each year in Rhode Island, one in four (4) infants, or over three thousand (3,000),
are born into poverty; and
(3) An insightful 1986 report, "Investing in our children� by the committee for economic
development, has concluded:
"The seeds of educational failure are planted early. Children who are born into poverty
or overly stressful circumstances often suffer from a wide variety of physical and
emotional problems that can delay normal social and intellectual development or impair
their ability to function effectively.
The patterns of behavior that lead to school failure and dropping out begin to appear
during infancy and the toddler years. Without early intervention, these children will
have difficulty taking advantage of the learning opportunities available in elementary
and secondary school. It is therefore likely that many otherwise bright children will
have their talents lost to themselves and society�; and
(4) Most recent Rhode Island initiatives have been targeted at the preschool and school-age
population, and have not addressed the pressing needs of at-risk infants and toddlers
and their families; and
(5) Rhode Island must provide the earliest possible intervention with at-risk children
for reasons both of compassion and cost-effectiveness.