What some experts are saying

What some experts are saying

"This French system is an alternative that people ought to know about. It cost a lot of dough. And I know states don't have that. But it's the only thing that will work if a) you want mothers to work, b) you want children out of poverty. This is welfare for the 21st century."

-- Barbara Bergmann, economics professor at American University in Washington, D.C.

"Being poor doesn't hurt a child. . . . What is harmful is the social values that come from collapsed families -- the eroded work ethic, collapsed education, emotional trauma. More welfare doesn't assuage those problems. It probably makes it worse. Rather than subsidizing day care and other programs, we should significantly reduce taxes on families with young children."

-- Robert Rector, social policy analyst, Heritage Foundation, Washington D.C.

"It's not that we don't have some of these programs in America. But they're much more patchwork. And kids have to meet our eligibility criteria. As we restructure our health care systems, as we change our welfare system . . . it's important to make sure moms and kids don't get lost in the picture. Because for some simple and nonexpensive ways, you can benefit kids and invest in the future."

-- Lisa Simpson, acting deputy of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who visited PMI centers in France.

"These are wonderful programs. And there's wide support for them. The problem is the total deal that businesses have to pay [for all social spending]. As a business person, I can't distinguish between these family benefits and other benefits. The question is: To what point can a country provide free-for-all services? Business understands the needs, but it's being clobbered by costs."

-- Alain Frecon, Honorary Consul of France in Minnesota and foreign trade advisor to France.

"When you don't target programs based on [financial] need and they are available to everyone, the social indicators improve. But they come at cost. We are looking at things in Minnesota that bridge the two strategies of universal benefits common in Europe and the means-tested programs common here."

-- John Petraborg, Deputy Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Human Services.

"From an economic point of view, there is no question the United States can 'afford' major social programs for children and families, because we continue to be one of the most wealthy countries in the world. It's a matter of political will. I think that greater public awareness of what other countries do, and with so much better consequences, may kick good old competitive instincts into play."

-- Professor Sheila Kamerman, codirector of the Cross-National Studies Research Program at Columbia University and author of "Starting Right: How America Neglects Its Young Children and What We Can Do About It."