Donna Carlson Yerby: Lawmakers failing children

Regarding Ned Barnett’s May 15 column “Lawmakers slow to truly protect N.C.’s children”: I must agree with Barnett that our legislators had a clear plan on how to “protect children” but decided instead to waste taxpayer dollars on defending House Bill 2 and put North Carolina in economic jeopardy.

As an educator and clinician, I witness on a daily basis how our state fails to take care of our children, not only from sexual abuse (in the home and community, not restrooms) but across all areas.

One in four children in this state is hungry. Our schools are receiving no resources for instructional supplies, textbooks, professional development and mentoring new teachers, while the teacher shortage increases each day.

Families must wait years for Medicaid support for children with disabilities; our lawmakers decided to waive that support as well.

I am saddened and embarrassed that we live in a state where the weak no longer have the opportunity to grow strong.

This story was originally published May 21, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Donna Carlson Yerby: Lawmakers failing children."