FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 1997 (202) 616-2777 TDD (202) 514-1888 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO ECHOES PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE TO REACH NATION'S YOUTH EARLY WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Noting the impact that violence has on children between the ages of "zero and three", Attorney General Janet Reno today echoed President Clinton's call for strategies to better support children in their early years of development. "The most formative time in person's life is zero to three," said Reno. "The concept of reward and punishment is developed during that time. If we get to children at this time, we can set them on the right track through life." In an effort to support such early intervention, Reno is awarding $700 thousand to Yale's Child Study Center in New Haven, Connecticut, to establish a Safe Start initiative. The new initiative will establish training on childhood development for law enforcement, mental health professionals, prosecutors, school personnel, and probation and parole officers to better respond to the needs of children exposed to abuse or neglect, as well as community, family and gang violence. It was developed through a partnership between the Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Violence Against Women Grants Office, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Today's comments coincide with a White House Conference on Early Childhood Development and Learning hosted by President and Mrs. Clinton. The conference seeks to address the issue of early childhood development, including strategies to reduce the number of child victims of crime. It will spotlight recent findings about how children develop from the earliest days and will explore what this means for parents and policy makers. In addition to today's grant, the Justice Department has funded a variety of initiatives to support the healthy and safe development of children, including ensuring the payment of child support, recovering missing and exploited children, preventing child abuse and neglect, intervening with domestic violence and drug abuse, and conducting research. "Addressing the cycle of violence is paramount in the Justice Department's effort to combat youth violence and protect or nation's children," added Reno. Recent studies have shown that an increasing number of children in the United States have been exposed to family and community violence. The studies show that children who experience violence are more likely to become violent themselves. These dangers are reportedly greatest for the youngest children who depend almost completely on parents and caregivers to protect them from trauma. 97-159 # # #