Law Enforcement Leaders Say Welfare Reform Legislation Should Boost Funds for Child Care To Prevent Crime

4/12/2002

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

WASHINGTON, April 12 -- More than 1,500 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and victims of violence today called on Congress to increase funds for educational child care for preschool-age children as part of reauthorization of a welfare reform package expected to be voted on by a House subcommittee next week.

Leaders of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a bipartisan, anti-crime organization, told members of the subcommittee that Congress can greatly reduce crime by expanding a child care assistance program that now has funds to serve only one out of seven eligible low- and moderate-income working families.

"Every day we fail to help working families afford quality educational child care and after-school programs, we increase the risk that you or someone you love will fall victim to violence," said Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids' board chairman. Kerlikowske said research showed educational child care prevents future crime. He said a study of Chicago's Child-Parent Centers showed that children from poor neighborhoods who did not attend the centers as preschoolers were 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime by age 18 than children who attended the centers.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids President Sanford Newman said that, in part because of successful welfare reform legislation signed in 1996, 62 percent of children under six -- 13 million kids -- are in the care of someone other than their parents during the work day. "Will Congress consign millions of these kids to be parked in front of TV's, or will it help them get the good child care that's proven to cut their risk of becoming criminals?" he asked.

Kerlikowske said that "decent child care for two kids can easily cost over $12,000 a year, more than the income of a full-time minimum wage worker. Congress has said these families need help to get decent child care -- but then it has provided no money to help six out of seven of the families it made eligible. The consequence is hundreds of thousands of unnecessary crimes and preventable violence."

Chico, Calif., Police Chief Michael Efford, a member of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, testified before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee considering welfare reform last night (April 11). He said investments in child care can prevent crime and "save lives, hardship, and money." Regardless of whether they have been on welfare, Congress should ensure adequate child care for low- and moderate-income working families, and welfare reform reauthorization offers that opportunity, Efford said.

--- See http://www.fightcrime.org/ for Chief Efford's full testimony containing detailed information on welfare reform legislation and the crime prevention benefits of educational child care.