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.        
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