The Children’s AgendaRepresenting

Winning Beginning NY

The Bottom Line on Early Childhood

Investment in New York State

April 5, 2011

Jeff Kaczorowski, M.D.

April 5, 2011

• Early Childhood Development Initiative

• Rochester’s Child

• Healthi Kids• Winning

Beginning NY• America’s Edge

• Greater Rochester After-School Alliance

• Healthi Kids• New York

State Afterschool Alliance

• Center for Governmental Research• Committee for Economic Development• Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy

Youth (9+)

Evidence-based programs and policies

Young Children(0-8)

TheChildren’s

Agenda

You Are Here:

Kids whose brains are stimulated show greater brain development.

Positive Stimulation

Negative Stimulation

If 50 first graders have problems reading, then 44 of them still have problems reading in fourth grade

First Graders Fourth Graders

Who Pays When Kids Are Behind?Business and Taxpayers!• 20% of U.S. workers are functionally

illiterate

Costs up! Worker availability down!

We Want to Pay Less and Get a Return on our Investment

Focus on early childhood, especially• Child care for 0-5• Proven home visiting programs for new

parents

WHY NOW?? Recession impacting government: Need to make tough choices

VS.

WHY NOW?? Recession impacting government: Need to make tough choices

Budgets are not just about more or less, they are about WHAT WORKS and they are about PRIORITIES

Economic Rationale: Part 1Don’t Waste Money

• D.A.R.E.

• “Scared Straight”

Economic Rationale: Part 2 Is NOW too long to wait?

• Fully funding early learning in New York would generate $1.86 in additional sales for every dollar invested; Creates new jobs; reduces the millions of dollars businesses lose from absenteeism caused by employees' child care problems.

~America’s Edge Report, August 2010

Economic Rationale: Part 2 Is NOW too long to wait?

• Nurse Family Partnership Home Visitation Program: Starts saving taxpayer dollars immediately and revenue neutral at child age 2 ½, then accrues savings

~ CGR and The Children’s Agenda 2010

Economic Rationale: Part 3 “You can pay me now or you can pay me later” ?!? Really??

“Every dollar invested in high quality early education returns between $7 and $17 because of tax savings from reduced services needed for these children as they grow.”

James HeckmanUniversity of Chicago Economist

Nobel Laureate

Where We Are

Greater RochesterPreK enrollment (4-year-olds)

71%

Kids in quality early childhood care and education

~20%

Home visitation available to eligible families

~30%

What We Need to Do

• Increase Capacity for Home Visiting• Increase Capacity for Early Childhood

Education• Support NYS Implementation of

QUALITYstarsNY• Stronger Workforce

Increase Capacity for Home Visiting

Increase Capacity for Early Childhood Education

QUALITYstarsNY

• Five-star rating system – like movies or restaurants

• Increases competition to drive improvement

• Accountability, cost-effectiveness to maximize state’s limited resources

• 24 states have it – NY is behind

Stronger Workforce: High Quality Early Care and EducationNeeded• Professional development system for

staff• Scholarships/loan forgiveness• Comparable pay

Thank you!