What is the Child Watch Visitation Program?

For further inquiry. contact American A..sociation of Retired Persons· Area 1 OfficePark Square Building· J / SI. James A venue· Bm;ton. MA P2116 • (6/7) 426-//85FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJULY 22, 1992CONTACT: PHYWS BARITZ(413) 467-9700MRP, CHILDREN'S WELFARE ADVOCATESPLANNING BOSTON-AREA CHILD WATCH VISITATION PROGRAMThe American Association of Retired Persons and several child welfare advocacygroups announced today they are planning a Child Watch Visitation Program for GreaterBoston designed to bring policymakers and politicians face to face with the plight ofAmerica's infant and child populations.'We plan to personalize the plight of children in need by taking key policy makers onstrategically planned site visits later this year to illustrate both the range of serious problemsfacing children and their families and the many agencies working on their behalf," said PhyllisBaritz, MRP Intergenerational Specialist in New England. "People in positions of power andinfluence must realize that every 42 minutes a child is born into poverty; that every 13 hoursan infant dies; that every 99 minutes an infant is born too small to be healthy; and everythree hours an infant is born to a mother who received pre-natal care late or not at aiL"The Child Watch Program was designed in 1990 by the Children's Defense Fund, amajor child welfare advocacy group in Washington, D.C. and it has since spread to 50 cities.-more-149