ABSTRACT
This conference was particularly powerful and informative. Eli Ginzberg's overview and the papers by the speakers give the reader an excellent and informed picture of where stands the "state of the art" in bettering the chances for children at high risk of doing poorly in life. But what they do not convey is the intensity of the feelings that emerged during the discussions surrounding each paper—or the sense of concern, anguish, despair, and, indeed, sometimes real outrage expressed by participants about our national failure to better prepare, protect, and care for too many mothers and children in the United States. So, in this final contribution, I will attempt to reintroduce some of that passion, recognizing that in so doing I run the risk of oversimplifying a series of complex problems requiring sensitive solutions.
