Cutting off the Head Start program would lead to an increase in crime

In view of the direct relationship between poverty and the level of detention, there is a critical need for programs such as Head Start that help with low incomes at their boat streets and out of poverty. In America, children today have the highest official poverty rate compared to any other age group. Over 16% of our young people live below the Federal Little Laborum. In parts of Portland, Oregon, where Albina Head Start is, 1 of 4 children is in poverty.

While people in the entire political spectrum agree that our government should concentrate on aligning financial waste, it is crucial that we save the head start program because it is one of the most cost-effective federal programs, especially when it comes to preventing crime and primarily keeping people out of the criminal system.

Often no churches, schools and other early educational institutions from the lead and early start programs for the early regulations focus on one of the most endangered segments in our population: pregnant women and children aged 0 to 5 years. In parts of the rural America, Head Start is the only early childhood educational provider that exists.

And for cities like Portland that have experienced their own fights for crime over the years, the need for an intelligent investment in our youth is particularly critical.

According to a study published by the Council on Criminal Justice, the researchers found that children of parents who went to the Head Start programs was around 50% less likely to do criminal activities, including arrest or arrest. This is a remarkable statistics to prevent crime, and it is remarkable that experts have predicted annual economic losses and state costs of crime of 194 billion US dollars in recent years.

The researchers also found that children from parents with access to Head start by 18% more often complete the high school, 34% more often register for college and become 35% less likely young parents.

While the annual budget of Head Start is 12 billion US dollars, it is important to understand that this number is a small part of the overall budget of the federal government in the context. The cost of the program is tiny compared to other budget deliveries such as social security (1.5 trillion dollars) and net interest for debts (878 billion US dollars). Compare it with NASA's expenses: The entire annual head start budget would only cover the costs of two to three space start systems that have a price of 4.1 billion dollars per start.

Arizona, Washington, Colorado, others ask the congress to fully finance the lead

Head Start is a good investment that makes our country better. Some of the brightest stars of America would never have achieved their potential without the help of Head Start. The list of the famous participants of the Head Start program is long and really a source of inspiration for impoverished children in our country of opportunities. It contains names like the basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, the comedian Chris Rock, the Rhodes scholars and the Paralympic medalist Bonnie St. John, the football legend Deion Sanders, the actor Danny Glover, the former CEO of Girl Scouts, Anna Maria Chavez, the former CEO of Ford Foundation, Darren Walker, Darren Walker, and much more.

It is absolutely necessary that legislators understand the unintended consequences of reducing a relatively inexpensive program that concerns several systemic problems at the same time. We have to save the head start program to prevent the next generation from becoming victims and perpetrators of crime and injustice.

Ronald D. Herndon is the director of Albina Head Start and former CEO of the National Head Start Association. From 1990 to 1993 Tom Potter was head of Portland Police Bureau before working as Mayor of Portland from 2005 to 2009.