Children's issues in Delaware finding difficulty in tough budget year

With Delaware facing a $750 million shortfall, a lot of the focus in Dover this legislative session has been on balancing the budget. But a group of lawmakers wants to make sure the state doesn’t forget about children. Statistics suggest that about 13 percent of Delaware’s children are living in poverty.

With Delaware facing a $750 million shortfall, a lot of the focus in Dover this legislative session has been on balancing the budget. But a group of lawmakers wants to make sure the state doesn’t forget about children. Statistics suggest that about 13 percent of Delaware’s children are living in poverty.

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[audio: reports20090402kids.mp3]

They call themselves the kids caucus. A group of legislators is concerned about keeping children’s issues alive despite a tight economy.

And their top priority for this legislative session? Programs that keep Delaware children healthy.

St. Sen. Liane M. Sorenson: Our top focus is health care for children: trying to get as many children as we can enrolled in the CHIP program so that every child can have health insurance, trying to get dental care for children, dealing with childhood obesity. So that’s our top priority.

Also on the agenda: childcare, education, nutrition and domestic issues.