Ready Families in Ready Communities Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities Early child development issues are core to business and economic success in the State of Alabama Economic development depends on providing a skilled workforce Investments in children, particularly those who live in poverty, are among the most important economic development expenditures we can make Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities Poverty places severe restraints on the development of young children Cognitive ability, language comprehension and expression, and social-emotional behavior are all extremely sensitive to economic status, particularly in the first 5 years of life Proper investments in child supports can close the achievement gap dramatically for poor children Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities Business leaders need The best employees now and in the future Employees who can focus and not be distracted because of child care issues Public policy that supports the development of the next generation of employees Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities Some alarming statistics: 20% of current workers are functionally illiterate Less than half of children in every state are proficient in reading and math 54% of business leaders say they expect to have difficulty finding enough educated employees Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities Some alarming statistics: Children who grow up poor are less likely to work and will have lower earnings as adults By age 3, poor children have less than half the vocabulary as non-poor children Poor parents display greater levels of depressive symptoms which leads to poor parenting skills and lower child achievement Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities Some hopeful news: Children who are pulled out of poverty before age 5 tend to adjust quickly, closing achievement gaps Quality child care serves as an important buffer, providing substantial protection for poor children Investments in the lives of poor children generate significant financial return Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities Benefit-cost ratios of some well-known initiatives compare favorably with traditional economic development investments Nurse-family partnerships have a 2.47-2.88 benefit-cost ratio High-quality child care has a 3.03-3.23 ratio Pre-K has a 2.36-3.79 ratio HIPPY has a 1.80 ratio Traditional tax abatement has a 0.65-1.50 ratio Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities In Alabama, we have all 4 of the evidence-based programs that have proven to strengthen families and improve child outcomes: Nurse-Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, HIPPY, and Healthy Families America But, programs are not available to all families in all areas of the state. Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities “Ready” families are the foundation. . . Family characteristics and parenting in the first years of life predict pre-academic skills and social-emotional development and behavior. Children whose parents have greater achievement expectations as early as first grade are half as likely to drop out of school than children whose parents had lower expectations. Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities In Alabama, being born to a single mother with limited education is the most consistent predictor of poverty and the related poor outcomes. Twenty four percent (24%) of Alabama children (and 43% of black children) are in poverty, with rates as high as 47% in some counties – ranking Alabama 45 out of 50 states. Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities “Ready” families need “Ready” communities: Preventing child abuse and neglect, reducing early problem behaviors, and promoting school readiness through validated parenting education and preschool programs can yield substantial cost savings to society Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities Investing in strong families can yield substantial cost savings to tax payers and society through the prevention and reduction of: child maltreatment, school failure, and criminal activity. Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities The annual costs to taxpayers in Alabama associated with child abuse and neglect are: $129,000,000 in indirect costs, and $392,000,000 in direct costs, totaling $521,000,000 annually. The Cost of Child Abuse vs. Child Abuse Prevention: Alabama’s Experience Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

Ready Families in Ready Communities Children living in an environment with domestic violence are 11 times more likely to suffer abuse. Children from households with an income of $15,000 or below are 22 times more likely to be abused, and a majority of abuse cases involve children under the age of 5. Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama