We’ve Failed Our Children. Can the Pandemic Help Us Change?
Like many of us, I am trying to make sense of what is unfolding as this invisible virus makes its way around the world and across our country. The pandemic has laid bare the inequities we have built into our economic, social and political systems. As our children struggle to continue their learning during such an unprecedented time, I’m struck by a few things that are so obvious and sad. I am also heartened by how people are already stepping up to create the changes we need.
Millions of our children now depend on school for food.
How did we get to a place where a day without school means a day without food for U.S. children? More than 11 million children in the U.S. live in food insecure households.
Right now, school leaders across the country are stepping up in amazing ways to ensure that students have food when they aren’t able to attend school. School food service workers, custodians, and bus drivers are on the front lines of this effort. Schools are getting creative. In some cases, bus drivers drop off food at each bus stop that would normally pick up kids for school. Not long before the pandemic hit, I witnessed the kindness of a school system where a friendly school employee brought a food cart to all the classrooms immediately after school ended. She offered free snacks to anyone staying after school for a club, a practice, or help with homework. Schools are doing their best, but really, isn’t it time for us to have a liveable minimum wage in this country so that families can afford food for their children?
Everyone will pay the price if families don’t have access to clean water.
Lack of access to clean, running water is a disgraceful hardship faced by communities (most often poor communities of color) and individual families. In Flint, Michigan, where cost-cutting measures led to tainted drinking water, 80% of the children who were affected will require special education services. In addition to the terrible, lifelong consequences of lead in the water, all families without running water face health hazards during the pandemic, where frequent hand washing is one of the most effective methods of prevention.
At least 113 U.S. cities have paused water shut-offs due to nonpayment in light of the pandemic. As the World Health Organization tweeted, "Washing your hands will help to reduce your risk of #coronavirus infection. But it’s also an act of solidarity because it reduces the risk you will infect others in your community and around the world. Do it for yourself, do it for others." Going forward, we have to restore water to all households, and find ways to help people pay their water bills without the inhumane practice of shutting off the water.
Students require broadband access to learn and to live
One in five teenagers in this country has trouble completing their homework because of the digital divide. The “homework gap” experienced by low income and rural students is about to turn into an overall learning gap as more and more schools respond to the pandemic by closing their doors and moving online for the coming weeks and possibly months.
Right now the FCC is working with internet providers like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon to keep broadband connections going for customers who aren’t able to pay their bills. In addition, many of these companies are also providing higher internet speeds and free hot-spots for customers. Moving forward, we need to treat broadband access like the essential utility it is, rather than a luxury for the well-off. Many of the companies that are stepping up to help now have fought net neutrality in the past, which would guarantee the same internet access to all, regardless of their particular plan. In addition, many rural communities still don’t have adequate access to the internet. We need net neutrality and affordable broadband access for everyone across the country.
This crisis is going to transform us.
The pandemic is showing us that we are all connected. The terrible inequities that hurt millions of our children and families, end up hurting all of us in the end. Just as we have to change our personal behaviors to keep everyone safe and healthy, our systems have to change, too. All across the country we see everyone doing their part. Community members, municipal workers, local leaders, teachers, artists, and businesses are all offering their talents, time and treasure to help us get through. The transformation towards a more humane, connected community is happening. Our children are depending on us. I know we can do this.