Letter: State legislators should increase funding for pre-kindergarten programs

As leaders in business and law enforcement, our wish is for all children in our community to grow up to be law-abiding and productive members of society and the workforce. And we know from research that attending a high-quality pre-kindergarten can play a key role in assuring that dream of a bright future is realized.

This is why we urge our state legislators to increase funding for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) in the 2016 supplemental budget.

High-quality pre-kindergarten programs such as ECEAP lay the foundation for learning traditional “hard skills” — like reading comprehension, writing and math — but also the “soft skills,” such as teamwork, communication and problem-solving, that are vital for success in school and in life.

And they also get at-risk kids started off on the right path so they do not commit crimes down the road. A Chicago study found that children not attending high-quality preschool were 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime by age 18 than kids who did attend.

Increasing funding for ECEAP is a common-sense investment that ensures the future safety and economic prosperity of our communities.

This story was originally published February 13, 2016 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Letter: State legislators should increase funding for pre-kindergarten programs."