The Senate Select Committee met in Macon, Georgia, to hear testimony of 15 individuals concerning various aspects of the problems facing children and families in the rural South. Dale Lick of Georgia Southern College pointed out that the rural South falls behind the rest of the country in health care, education, and overall quality of life. Donald Anderson of the National Association for the Southern Poor emphasized self-help efforts of the poor in overcoming poverty and cited his organization's successes in Surry County, Virginia. Ted Holloway, M.D., outlined problems relating to maternal and infant health care in Southeast Georgia, noting high infant mortality rates for Blacks and Whites and high incidence of teenage pregnancy. Polly Porter discussed the complex effects of the farm crisis on her family. Mark Akers of the Indiana Department of Commerce described a program to help communities attract industrial investments that will provide jobs for community residents. Other topics include the nature of farm families, images of the South, rural to urban migration, child abuse and domestic violence, and the role of the church in providing services for the poor. This report provides a transcript of the hearing proceedings and the witnesses' prepared statements. (JHZ)