Every child deserves chance at bat on a level playing field
My wife and I are the proud parents of two grown children — a banker and a lawyer. Both worked hard in school, held part-time jobs while in college, and have been selfsufficient since graduation.
I would like to think that here in America, the land of opportunity, children are born with a level playing field. That children who work hard and study hard, like my children, earn their rewards in life, and that other children who don’t apply themselves reap what they sow.
But my 40 years working for Boys & Girls Clubs has shown me this is a gross oversimplification.
Although my wife and I tried hard not to hand Heather and Chad anything on a silver platter, they were fortunate nonetheless. They had two parents who loved them and made their welfare the top priority. Working in nonprofits, I’ve never made a fortune, but my salary enabled my wife to stay at home and tend to our family’s needs. We could afford to live in a neighborhood with excellent public schools. There was a hot dinner on the table every night, meaningful conversation, and help with homework if needed.
Our children were read to. We took enriching vacations together. Both children qualified for Bright Futures, but Louise and I were able to pay the balance of their college tuition, room and board. When they were ready to enter the work force, Chad learned of a banking internship through a family friend. Heather learned of a law clerkship through an extended family member.
I can’t help but contrast this with the children we serve at Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida. Our typical club member, whom we’ll call Jaden, lives in an impoverished neighborhood, where it’s not safe to play outside. Dad is not in the picture. Jaden’s mom works for minimum wage at Steak & Shake; fortunately, Jaden’s club stays open till 8 p.m. so her mom can work the dinner shift.
There is no money for piano lessons or the soccer league. As Jaden has two younger siblings, Mom can only make it to his meet-the-teacher night every third year, if work permits. No one in the family has gone to college, and it’s a daunting if not impossible task to keep track of applications, federal-aid forms or internship opportunities. If Jaden defies all odds and makes it through college, he has no family ties or friends in high places to help connect him with job opportunities.
These are just a few of the challenges we try to overcome with our Boys & Girls Clubs members. And statistics show the challenge is particularly acute in our area — a Harvard University study ranked the 100 largest metropolitan areas according to ease of escaping poverty. Orange County, with its predominance of low-wage jobs, ranked 97; Hillsborough, 98.
As our Florida Legislature enters the fourth week of its 60-day regular session, I hope our lawmakers will prioritize actions that help level the playing field for the hundreds of thousands of Florida children living at or below the poverty line.
Or, to use a spring-training analogy, Chad and Heather started life on second base. Wouldn’t it be great if every Florida child at least had a chance at bat?