Dodd Seeks to Put Spotlight on Children's Issues

Hearings, Proposed Panel Aim to Focus on Challenges Amid Recessionary Fallout

Longtime U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, who is retiring at the end of this year, plans to use his last months in office to shine a spotlight on the condition of children.

Sen. Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat and the chairman of the Senate education committee’s panel on children and families, last week launched a series of hearings on the “state of the American child.” He will gather testimony from experts who are examining a wide range of issues affecting children, including their health, education, and family and community life.

At the June 8 hearing, the first of four, Sen. Dodd said he plans to introduce legislation to create a national commission on children to regularly and closely examine the needs of American families and identify...