Kids at work: child labor laws.

• Author: Kline, Jesse
• Position: Citings - Brief article

IN JUNE the Department of Labor introduced stricter child labor regulations and higher fines for employers who break them. "Work is not child's play," Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis explained. "When children do work, that work must be age appropriate, safe, and positive, and it must not interfere with their schooling." Under the new rules, young people under the age of 16 cannot hold any jobs that are not specifically approved by the government.

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Although small farms are stiff allowed to employ children as young as 12 under certain circumstances, the Labor Department has stepped up enforcement of child labor laws in the agricultural sector. As a result, many farms have begun banning children altogether. This development puts a burden on many migrant...