Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, today issued the following statement on President-Elect Obama’s announcement of the nomination of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Daschle will also serve as Director of a new White House Office on Health Care Reform and Jeanne Lambrew will serve as its Deputy Director:

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, today announced that October 16, 2008 will be recognized as “Lights on Afterschool Day,” a national celebration of afterschool programs.  This designation was made possible by this weekend’s Senate approval of a resolution introduced by Dodd and Senator John Ensign (D-NV).  Dodd and Ensign are co-chairs of the Senate’s Afterschool Caucus. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) announced today that Connecticut resident Mary Beth Bruder, Ph.D., has been named a 2008 Angel in Adoption for her work as an advocate for adopted children with special needs.  Senator Dodd nominated Dr. Bruder for the award, which is presented by The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). CCAI honored Dr. Bruder, along with 180 other Angels, at an awards ceremony and gala event in Washington, DC today.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT-2) visited the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Connecticut this afternoon to meet with children who participate in Mystic Aquarium’s Immersion Presents program.  Senator Dodd and Representative Courtney, who championed funding for this initiative in Congress, also heard from the President of Mystic Aquarium and the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club.

Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families, today convened a subcommittee hearing to examine strengthening the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) as Congress prepares to reauthorize the legislation this year. Dodd heard from several experts as well as a mother and recovering drug addict who has been able to rehabilitate herself in part through Parents Anonymous, a program funded through CAPTA.

D.C. – As part of National Food Allergy Awareness Week, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families, today convened a subcommittee hearing to examine the impact of food allergies on children and families.  Senator Dodd authored and introduced the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act, a bill that addresses the critical need for uniform and consistent food allergy policies in our schools while providing them with the resources they need to implement them.   

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, praised the passage of a Senate Resolution he co-authored with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), designating the third week of April as “National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week.”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, made the following statement to honor the Week of the Young Child:

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the “Week of the Young Child.” With 20 million children under the age of 5 in this country, these children are our country’s future, and we must support and invest in our future. Providing children with access to quality early education programs will help to ensure that all children are not only ready for school, but ready to succeed and reach their full potential.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, today introduced legislation to provide low-income children with additional time in school during the summer before and the summer after the traditional kindergarten school year.  This legislation will ensure that more children enter the first grade with the tools they need to succeed in school.  The Sandy Feldman Kindergarten Plus Act would provide competitive grants to states to fund the creation of 12-month kindergarten programs. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today hailed the unanimous Committee passage of the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007.  Authored by Dodd, the bill, which seeks to expand and improve lifesaving screening of newborns for detectable and treatable conditions, passed unanimously out of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.