Early learning is our best investment

Lawmakers at both the federal and state level face two major challenges today: managing shrinking budgets and supporting economic growth. Investing in early childhood education is a fiscally responsible way to produce gains for children and enable low-income parents to work. Nobel Laureate economist James Heckman’s research shows that early childhood education is a cost-efficient approach. Children who experience quality early learning programs will be healthier, more self-sufficient and less likely to enter the criminal justice system.

Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed cutting child care programs that help more than 160,000 vulnerable children each month. Cuts to child care would devastate working families’ self-sufficiency and force children out of quality early learning settings.

At the federal level, Illinois is at risk of losing $74 million for child care, leaving 14,000 children without affordable, quality child care. Another $78 million in new funding for Early Head Start and Head Start programming is also at stake, which would leave nearly 2,800 children and families without critical intervention.

Child care, Head Start, and Early Head Start build the skills for children’s success in school, college, career and life for 2.5 million American families. At the same time, child care enables struggling parents to work and achieve self-sufficiency. Cutting these programs represents a missed opportunity not only for these children and families, but for all of us.

We must urge both state lawmakers and members of Congress to protect child care and early learning programs.

Nancy B. Ronquillo

President and CEO

Children’s Home + Aid