For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given …. These words, part of the Old Testament prophecies of Isaiah, predict the birth of a miraculous child destined to change the world forever. As billions of people across the globe — believers and nonbelievers — prepare to celebrate the holiday inspired by that birth, they focus on the children among them. Entire charities are built around the notion that every child deserves at least a few gifts, a celebratory meal, time in the spotlight. That joy to the world, in this one brief season, includes them.
But once the last of the wrapping paper is discarded, the last carol sung, the last gift given, that transitory abundance too often evaporates. Even in the most prosperous societies, too many children suffer the consequences of poverty, violence and callous indifference to their needs — consequences they are powerless to resist. When they grow into adults, many will walk the same paths that their parents trod.
Lately, we’ve seen an increasing tendency to treat children more like political props than the gifts they are, among political leaders of all persuasions.
Children living in poverty need us to rethink our focus
But this is a season of hope, coming after a year of disruption and leading to a fresh start and a new year. Can Floridians resolve to do better for our children? If so, here are some gifts that could keep giving for generations.
Ensure every child a safe place to live and thrive. Florida leaders may think they’ve heard enough about the state’s affordable housing crisis. But have they experienced the kind of stress children face when one missed paycheck, bad argument or other catastrophe can spell the difference between shelter and homelessness? Pushing to build more truly affordable housing should be a priority for every state leader.
Prioritize high-quality education as the best path forward for children, no matter what path they take. Florida can be proud of the many options it’s developed over the past few decades to give children access to better futures. That doesn’t just include colleges and universities, though fostering a hunger for learning beyond high school is always beneficial. Most Florida school districts proudly offer technical, construction, hospitality or health-related courses that can prepare students for jobs that don’t require degrees, with some graduating high school ready to enter the workforce and earn a livable wage. Putting time, effort and most of all funding into expanding opportunities in every district across the state is a far more worthy investment of Florida leaders’ time.
improve children’s access to affordable, quality health care. We’re encouraged by House Speaker Paul Renner’s proposal to expand access to Healthy Kids with a plan that preserves parental choice but puts affordable insurance in reach for more Florida children. That might be Medicaid, one of the programs under the Healthy Kids umbrella or some new approach — so long as it’s driven by a sincere desire to expand access to children, without diverting millions into the pockets of for-profit operations.
Be fearless about steps toward a better life for millions of children. Want to make a difference nearly overnight? Stop sending their parents to prison or loading them up with ruinous fines for non-violent infractions that could be just as effectively dealt with through community service and oversight. (This would also free up resources to fight truly dangerous criminals.) Boost help for parents struggling with mental illness and substance abuse. Look for ways to build communities and support families — including a rededication to the concept that every family deserves to be treated with dignity, instead of engaging in performative displays that target groups of people based on the color of their skin or who they love.
Hearken back to that message in Isaiah. In an Old Testament that dedicates thousands of words spelling out precisely who begat whom, the prophecy is truly striking. It doesn’t say “Unto Joseph and Mary” — or unto Rick and Rita; Marco and Antonio; Jada and Elijah; Hein and Lucy. It says “unto us.” All of us.
In a season that celebrates the birth of one miraculous child under the brightest of stars, we should all ask ourselves: How do we make miracles happen for every child born in the Sunshine state? This would be a far greater gift, for Florida’s children, for our society and for the man that long-ago infant would grow into, the one who said: “As you did it for the least of these … you did it for me.”
Amen to that, and the blessings of the season to all our readers and their families.
This editorial was published in the Orlando Sentinel and distributed by Tribune Content Agency.