Law Enforcement Group Releases New Report for Minnesota Showing Quality Child Care Cuts Crime, Saves Money

10/15/2003

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

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 15 -- A law enforcement organization released a report today showing that quality child care cuts crime, and called on Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) to back an increase in federal child care investments. That's especially important for Minnesota, where, according to the report, only one in seventeen 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.

The new report, "Preventing Crime with Quality Child Care: A Critical Investment in Minnesota's Safety", shows that Minnesota stands to gain $95.9 million in child care assistance if Congress increases funding for CCDBG by $6 billion over the next five years. The group called on Senator Coleman to support that increase when it comes before Congress in the coming days.

At a news conference at the Midtown YWCA, Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom, other law enforcement officials, a victim of violence and a working mother pointed to the results of several studies that show the effectiveness of quality child care in cutting crime, including:

-- 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.

-- 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.

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 25 in Minnesota. 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.

The report also makes the following points:

-- More than two-thirds of children in Minnesota under six have both parents or their only parent in the workforce. That means most children are in some form of child care. Good care can help kids learn to get along with others and succeed in school and later in life, while care that amounts to little more than a parking space in front of a television set can have long term, damaging consequences on a child's development.

-- Most low- and moderate-income families in Minnesota need assistance to afford quality care for their kids. Tuition for a child care center in Minnesota averages $5,171 for a child under age six. 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, Minnesota 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 Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, the Minnesota County Attorney's Association, the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association, 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.

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

Jim Lym of Arden Hills, Minnesota, spoke of his son Mike's murder in 1995 and his subsequent belief in investing in kids early as a means of preventing future violent crimes. "No parent should ever have to endure the loss of a child," said Lym. "And by no means will quality child care prevent every kid from growing up to become a violent criminal. But these programs are proven to cut crime. And if they keep even one family safe, then I'm all for them."

Rena Heaton, a working mother from Minneapolis, uses CCDBG funds to help her afford child care at the Midtown YWCA for Daunte, DeAndre and Jalynn. She spoke of the benefits quality child care has provided them and the necessity for child care subsidies for working families in Minnesota.

Amy Dawson, vice president of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, said, "law enforcement will be right behind (Senator Coleman) every step of the way" if he fights for the full $6 billion increase in CCDBG funds when the issue comes before Congress in the next few weeks.