Washington's children paying the biggest price in economic downturn

Washington’s youngest children are struggling more every day; our state’s Head Start and preschool programs see this firsthand. As more families lose jobs and homes due to the recession, our programs have seen their wait lists more than double, with more than 20,000 children eligible but left out.

The families within our programs have become poorer as well – a shocking one in 12 children in our Head Start and state preschool programs (ECEAP) is homeless, an increase of nearly 40 percent.

The U.S. Census found a steep increase last year in the number of families living in poverty, and young children are even more likely to be poor. In Washington, poverty among children under the age of 5 rose 16 percent in a single year. Today, more than 20 percent of children are living in poverty.

Poverty is putting our children and families at risk, and this has long-term consequences. When children’s health and development suffer and they fall behind their peers in school, it threatens their ability to grow into productive adults who contribute to our state’s economy.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We know how to help people through hard times and prepare for a stronger economic future.

For example, research shows that kids who participate in Head Start and ECEAP are more prepared and ready to learn when they enter kindergarten. They are less likely to need special education or repeat grades and far more likely to graduate high school and attend college.

Economists such as James Heckman, a Nobel laureate at the University of Chicago, has found that high-quality early education generates a return on investment (ROI) that could make hedge fund managers envious. For every $1 invested in these programs, America reaps an ROI ranging from $7 to $9.

Right now we face a triple threat. Rising poverty creates more demand for critical services, just when both the state and federal government have cut back. In the last three years, $10 billion has been cut from the state budget, 90 percent through reductions in basic public services and education.

State revenues continue to fall, and Gov. Chris Gregoire has called a special session starting Nov. 28 to make even more cuts. Congress is considering similar drastic cuts, even though further reductions are the last thing our economy needs.

What we need are leaders who have the courage to make the right choices. Attempts to attack our state and federal deficits through cuts in education, health care or other essential services are bound to fail because they will reduce jobs, cripple economic activity and shrink tax revenues. Our elected officials in Olympia and Washington, D.C., should support a balanced approach that grows the economy.

This includes closing tax loopholes for special interests, asking millionaires to pay their fair share, creating jobs here at home and cutting government waste. With more than 10 percent of people in Washington looking for work, we should continue unemployment insurance for those who are unable to find jobs. We should not ask those who can least afford it – our poorest children – to carry the burden.

Instead, let’s continue to invest in programs like Head Start and ECEAP that help poor children escape poverty and save taxpayers money in both the short and long term.

The surest way to reduce the deficit is to get people back to work and paying taxes. And the surest way to end up paying more down the road is to reduce our investments and commitments to our most at-risk children.

This is no time for policymakers to be sidetracked by political squabbles. Our country and our state cannot thrive when so many people are struggling.We must act now.

Joel Ryan is executive director of the Washington State Association of Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Programs (ECEAP).