Focusing on kids pays big dividends
It’s encouraging to see our area strengthening early-childhood services, as The News-Gazette recently reported (“New state funding helping First United Methodist child care,” Feb. 10).
It’s part of an important statewide effort. And I’m convinced by research that opening thousands more pre-K classrooms throughout Illinois will not only help families today but also decrease the likelihood of future trouble on many levels.
When children experience unchecked behavioral problems, the resulting costs of crime, medical expenses and lost productivity can total $144,000 per child. That’s the disheartening conclusion of studies that followed children from kindergarten to age 28, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
But other research demonstrates how high-quality early-learning services can actually save those costs, putting young children on a path toward success in life and away from trouble.
About 350 Illinois sheriffs, police chiefs and prosecutors — members of the bipartisan Fight Crime: Invest in Kids organization — strongly back our state’s multiyear “Smart Start” moves to bolster the accessibility and quality of pre-K, child care and birth-to-3 programs, including greater compensation for hardworking teachers and staff.
Law-enforcement leaders support the governor’s proposal for streamlining core services under a new state agency that can better coordinate improvements.
Finally, Illinois must step up resources for the construction and renovation of early-childhood facilities to meet growing needs. Taken together and approached thoughtfully, these measures will strengthen the well-being of children and families — and the safety of communities, statewide.
LARRY D. BOONE
Urbana police chief
