Law Enforcement Leaders Say House Action Today on Head Start Threatens Increase in Crime and Violence

7/24/2003

From: Phil Evans of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 202-776-0027, ext. 109 or 301-949-5630 (evenings)

WASHINGTON, July 24 --The head of a national, bipartisan, anti-crime organization said a Head Start bill under consideration by the House of Representatives today will lead to increased crime and violence. The full statement by Sanford Newman, president of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, follows:

"On behalf of the 2,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and victims of violence who are members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, I want to express our grave concern that if passed without amendment, the bill being considered by the House of Representatives today will weaken Head Start and lead to increased crime and violence.

"The best early childhood education programs, like Head Start, have been proven to dramatically cut crime. Pre-kindergarten kids left out of Chicago9s Child-Parent Centers were 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime by age 18 than similar inner-city kids who attended the high quality program.

"In up to eight states, the bill before the House would eliminate all class-size maximum and teacher-student ratio requirements, along with other basic standards, which research shows are key to effective pre-k programs.

"While the bill pays lip service to teacher training, it fails to provide any money to do that. It also fails to provide funding necessary to increase access to the 600,000 kids who currently are shut out of Head Start because no money is available for programs in their high-risk neighborhoods. This is a prescription for future crime.

"Law enforcement leaders will support any effort to improve the quality of Head Start and increase access to it. Failure to do so puts all Americans at greater risk of becoming victims of crime and violence."