HARTFORD, Conn. -- Connecticut has become the first state in the nation to form a task force that focuses on the economic recession and the needs of children.

House speaker Chris Donovan said Connecticut is focusing on how to survive the recession without losing sight of the children. He said a task force of legislators, economists, family support groups and human service organizations has been created to address issues such as health care, hunger, parental support and education.

A report released last week by the Foundation for Child Development and Duke University predicts the recession will send 3 million children into poverty, costing American taxpayers more than $1 trillion.

Elaine Zimmerman, from the Connecticut Commission on Children, said that while the recession may end next year, it will take years for children to recover.

It was pointed out at a gathering on Tuesday, officials said, that 25 percent of families at Connecticut food banks are working families who have been hurt by the recession. They said those families will need time and support to get out of poverty.