WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, authored an op-ed in Hearst CT to make the case for funding for summer enrichment programs in the COVID-19 relief bill. In the op-ed, Murphy stressed the social and emotional toll the pandemic has taken on students and the importance of providing opportunities for children from low-income backgrounds to participate in summer programs.

“The learning loss this pandemic has triggered is well-documented ... But I fear another crisis is falling just under the radar: the trauma that COVID-19 has wrought on our kids’ mental health – and the emotional and social development that has been stunted by children not being able to see friends or attend their usual extracurriculars. This demands our equal attention,” Murphy wrote.

“As summer fast approaches, we need to put our children’s wellness first. Yes, some kids will benefit from summer school, but many just need an opportunity to reset and reconnect through summer enrichment programs, like camps and recreation programs, that offer opportunities for social and emotional learning, recreation and exercise, arts and culture, and teamwork and leadership,” Murphy added.

"That’s why I’m pushing for funding for summer programs in the next COVID relief bill. This would allow school districts, community-based organizations and municipalities to more than double the number of free or affordable slots provided through federal funding to students in need. It would give thousands of kids across Connecticut and more than four million kids across the country a chance to do something fun in a year when those opportunities have been few and far between," Murphy continued.

Click here to read the op-ed in full.

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