Conference on Children#s Needs

CONFERENCE TO EXAMINE NEEDS OF CHILDREN

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In Ohio in 1993, 21,562 babies were born 
to teenage mothers, most of whom are single and living in 
poverty.  Many other young people and their families also cope 
with the vast impact of poverty, and each year a grim future 
confronts a growing number of children.

The Ohio State University College of Law is sponsoring a 
conference Nov. 3 and 4 to address the many issues surrounding 
children and poverty.  The meeting is co-sponsored by the 
Interprofessional Commission of Ohio, housed in the College of 
Education.

"Meeting the Basic Needs of Children: Defining Public and 
Private Responsibilities" will be held at the College of Law, 
Drinko Hall, 55 W. 12th Avenue. 

Gov. George V. Voinovich will deliver the keynote address at 
the 6:30 p.m. dinner meeting, Nov. 3 at the Faculty Club, 181 S. 
Oval Dr.  Voinovich is expected to discuss recent welfare reforms 
in Ohio.  As a member of the National Governors' Association, he 
has played a prominent role in addressing issues of social policy 
and child welfare, as well as leading the state of Ohio to adopt 
major welfare and education reforms.

"What should we do as a society when parents cannot afford 
to pay for the basic needs of the children whom they bring into 
the world?" asked Edward Foley, associate professor of law at 
Ohio State and a conference organizer.  "As a nation, and as a 
state, this question is becoming increasingly more urgent to 
answer, given the extraordinary number of children born into 
poverty each year."

Foley and Martha Minow from Harvard University's College of 
Law will speak on "Child Poverty and Constitutional Values" at 
1:45 p.m. Nov. 4.

The status of children and their families has been a major 
focus of the Interprofessional Commission for many years.  Today  
the commission, and an affiliated organization, the Campus 
Collaborative for Educational Excellence, are paying special 
attention to the neighborhoods near Ohio State's Columbus campus.  
Working alongside Campus Partners (the university's non-profit 
organization  working with the city of Columbus and university 
neighborhoods on revitalizing the campus area), the Campus 
Collaborative aligns 20 Ohio State colleges and units with their 
professional partners in the community to address issues of 
health, education, economics and social welfare.

"How we interact with the people who live and work in this 
community is of prime concern to our university," said Michael 
Casto, director of the Interprofessional Commission and the 
Campus Collaborative for Educational Excellence.  "This 
conference, focusing on the welfare of children, is part of our 
mission to improve life for struggling families.  What we do in 
our own neighborhood is vital as we explore the status of 
children nationwide."

The conference is the inaugural event of the Justice for 
Children Project, which is part of the Center for Socio-Legal 
studies at the College of Law.

The project is one of the first of its kind in the country 
and was developed to address long-ignored issues of children's 
legal rights.

Conference presenters will address tax policies, health 
care, teenage parenting, promoting parenting skills, and child 
poverty and constitutional values.

Nationwide experts in child welfare issues will be featured, 
including: Peter Edleman, counselor to the U.S. Secretary of 
Health and Human Services; Anne Alstott, professor of law at 
Columbia University; Barbara Woodhouse, professor of law at the 
University of Pennsylvania; Emily Buss, deputy director of the 
Philadelphia Juvenile Law Center; and Lolita McDavid, advocate 
for the Cleveland Children's Defense Fund.

Ohio State College of Law faculty who will speak include 
Deborah Merritt, Timothy Jost and Allan Samansky.  Frank Mott, 
senior research associate with the Ohio State University Research 
Foundation, and Beverly Toomey, professor of social work, also 
will present papers.

Goals of the Justice for Children Project include 
establishing a journal dedicated to the area of justice for 
children, developing course materials for law schools nationwide, 
and establishing a clinic that will allow law students to get 
real-world experience in children's advocacy.

To register for the conference, contact coordinator Tamara 
Lynd at (614) 292-2611 or lynd.29@osu.edu; or write to 55 W. 12th 
Ave., Columbus 43210.  Continuing Education Units are available.
                            #

Contact: Edward Foley, College of Law, 292-4288; or Michael 
Casto, Interprofessional Commission of Ohio and the Campus 
Collaborative for Educational Excellence, 292-5621.

Written by Greg Brown and Pam Lombardi.


[Submitted by: Von Reid-Vargas (ereid@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)
               
Fri, 13 Oct 1995 14:41:57 -0400]
All documents are the responsibility of their originator.