It is a national moral disgrace that there are 14.7 million poor children, including 6.5 million extremely poor children, in the United States of America — one of the world’s richest nations. It also is unnecessary, costly and the greatest threat to our future national, economic and military security.

Ending Child Poverty Now, a new report released by The Children’s Defense Fund, calls for an end to child poverty with a 60 percent reduction immediately. It shows solutions to end child poverty in our nation already exist.

By expanding investments in existing policies and programs that work, we can shrink overall child poverty 60 percent, reduce poverty among African-American children by 72 percent and improve economic circumstances for 97 percent of poor children at a cost of $77.2 billion a year. These policies could be pursued immediately, improving the lives and futures of millions of children and eventually saving taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars annually.

You may see the report at www.childrensdefense.org/library/PovertyReport/EndingChildPovertyNow.html.

Child poverty is too expensive to continue. Each year, lost productivity and extra health and crime costs for adults who grew up poor add up to $500 billion.

A nation that does not stand for its children does not stand for anything.

Children only have one childhood. We don’t have a moment or a child to waste.

MARIAN WRIGHT

EDELMAN

Washington

The writer is president of the Children’s Defense Fund.