Children are our greatest hope and our most profound responsibility.
Only when our young people are provided with the best upbringing possible can we truly say that we are prepared for the challenges of the twenty-first century. Yet, sadly, many Americans avoid their responsibility to provide basic economic support to their children. That is why the national Child Support Enforcement Program was created in 1975, reflecting a bipartisan commitment to giving children the chance they deserve. As we celebrate the successes of the past two decades, we should rededicate ourselves to working across party lines to pass the strongest possible child support and welfare reform legislation. Strong child support enforcement measures are crucial not only because they help provide children with economic security, but also because they send a clear signal to young men and young women that they should not have children until they are prepared to care for them.