Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman Releases New Report Showing Quality Child Care Cuts Crime, Saves Money

1/29/2004

From: Clay Wilkinson of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 202-776-0027, ext. 108 or 202-550-6172 (cell)

DENVER, Jan. 29 -- Denver Chief of Police Gerry Whitman helped a law enforcement organization release a report today showing that quality child care cuts crime and called on Senators Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) and Wayne Allard (R-CO) to back an increase in federal child care investments. That's especially important for Colorado, where, according to the report, only one in nine eligible children is currently served by the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the federal government's primary source of child care assistance for working families.

"When Congress fails to support child care programs, it forces police to fight crime with one hand tied behind our backs," said Whitman. "By investing now in our most vulnerable youth, we can guarantee they never grow up to become our most wanted adults."

The report shows that Colorado stands to gain $83.5 million in child care assistance if Congress increases funding for CCDBG by $6 billion over the next five years. Congress is expected to vote on that proposal in the coming weeks.

At a news conference at the Lowry Montessori Center, a child care facility in Denver, J. Grayson Robinson, Arapahoe County Sheriff, pointed to the results of several studies that show the effectiveness of quality child care in cutting crime. He cited a government-funded pre-kindergarten program in Chicago that has served over 100,000 at-risk three- and four-year-olds since 1967. For 14 years, researchers tracked nearly 1,000 children in the program and 550 similar kids not in the program. By the time they turned 18, those who had not been in the program were 70 percent more likely to have been arrested for committing a violent crime.

Robinson also highlighted a 22-year study of the High/Scope Perry Preschool in Ypsilanti, Michigan. At-risk three- and four- year-olds left out of the program were five times more likely to become chronic lawbreakers by the time they reached adulthood compared to kids in the program.

Both programs were also shown to save money as a result of the reduction in crime. In fact, for every $1 invested, the public saved $7.

"There is no substitute for tough law enforcement," said Robinson. "Dangerous criminals must be prosecuted and locked up. But by investing now in programs proven to give kids the right start in life, we can dramatically decrease the chance that you or someone you love will become a victim of violence."

District Attorney for the 1st Judicial District David Thomas discussed the unmet need that exists in Colorado for investments in quality child care. Thomas pointed out that more than half of children under age six in Colorado have either their only parent or both parents in the work force, but the cost of tuition for just two kids in a child care center exceeds the annual salary of a full-time, minimum-wage worker.

"To win the fight against crime, we need to be as willing to guarantee our kids a space in a good child care program as we are to guarantee a criminal room and board in a prison cell," said Thomas.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a bipartisan, nonprofit, anti- crime organization of more than 2,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and victims of violence, including 29 in Colorado. The organization takes a hard-nosed look at what works and what doesn't work to prevent crime and violence. It then makes recommendations on effective strategies to the public and policy makers.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Vice-President Jeff Kirsch called on Sens. Campbell and Allard to support an increase in child care investments. "Making sure that children of working parents have access to quality child care is crucial to keep kids from becoming criminals, and keep innocent citizens of Colorado from becoming crime victims," said Kirsch.

The new report, Preventing Crime with Quality Child Care: A Critical Investment in Colorado's Safety, available at http://www.fightcrime.org, also makes the following points:

-- Most low- and moderate-income families in Colorado need assistance to afford quality care for their kids. Tuition for a child care center in Colorado averages $6,600 for a toddler and $5,800 for an older preschooler. Tuition for two children can exceed the entire income of a parent employed at the minimum wage.

-- If an increase of $6 billion in CCDBG funding is not approved, Colorado would lose the opportunity to serve hundreds of additional children a year from low- and moderate-income families.

-- Some CCDBG money can be used to help low- and moderate- income families afford after-school programs for children up to age 13. Crime data shows the after-school hours are the prime time for juvenile crime. They also are the hours when kids are most likely to experiment with alcohol, drugs and sex. Research proves that programs putting kids in touch with caring adults during the after-school hours cut crime and help kids learn the skills and values necessary to become contributing adults.

-- Law enforcement professionals are nearly unanimous in their support of educational child care and after-school programs as a means to prevent crime and violence. Dozens of state and national law enforcement organizations, including the Colorado Associations of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National District Attorneys Association, have endorsed investments in educational child care and after-school programs as means to prevent crime. Whitman said, "law enforcement leaders would stand shoulder-to- shoulder with Senators Campbell and Allard" if they fight for the $6 billion increase in CCDBG funds when the issue comes before Congress in the next few weeks.