As a society, how do we insure that children born to unfit parents get a fair chance in life?

Society cannot insure that all children get a fair chance in life. We can feed all the kids and give every child the opportunity to get an education but that doesn't equal a "fair chance in life". A lot of children get damaged before they are ever born because of the parents' lifestyle choices. Things just get worse if they are born to "unfit" parents on top of that... Do you think being born to the "wrong" parents justifies society to withdraw food and an education from these kids?

Educational programs such as those you've mentioned aren't put in place because the parents are bad. Generally they are utilized by families that can't afford preschool or after schooll programs. Head Start is a program that was begun to help fight the war on poverty. Most informed people realize that children fromunderprivilegedd neighborhoods do not get the same education as children in middle or upper middle class get. "Head Start was chosen by academics who understood the achievement gap and that middle class students get ahead of their lower class peers" (Kagan, 2002).

I don't have a problem with feeding hungry children and educating ALL children. They did not ask to be born into a family that doesn't have much money. Please read the attached link and get informed before you start ranting about unfit parents. Lack of money does NOT equate unfit parenting.

feeding the kids is fine its a great idea.

They need to implement life classes into these schools. The circle of poverty is obvious. It is very easy to get caught up when criminal activity is happening everywhere you turn.

classes where young people can learn about these adversities they face and give them tools on understanding them, and overcoming them.

I am talking about real life stuff here.

Young girls dont even have to do anything but have kids, and young men love dating these girls because they dont have to help them with bills,

imagine that a female who has never worked lives for free off welfare and her mate a man who dates her because she has free stuff and he dont have to help out with anything.

It really is just a shame people do this to their children.

You've hit the nail head on. Parents need to step up and provide the basic necessities for their children. If they can't provide basic necessities regularly (I get sometimes you fall on hard times, but that shouldn't be a way of life), then they need to stop having kids. Parents need to do more to be involved in their child's education. The real failure in this country are many, many parents. I swear, I just heard this talked about on a news station this week, I think it was a local station, about how parents need to step up to the plate and do better.

I do believe that we need to help the poor and needy, but I don't think that is the government's responsibility. It's the responsibility of the community and neighbors of the people in need.