Over the past decade many studies have reached the conclusion that investing in high-quality early childhood education is a successful hedge against poverty.
Students who attend Head Start, America's comprehensive early childhood education and development program for poor children, are far better prepared to learn when they enter kindergarten. They are referred for special education services less frequently and they are also more likely to graduate high school.
As adults they are less likely to be incarcerated and more likely to be successful, contributing members of society than those who do not attend such programs.
Programs such as Head Start help to break the poverty cycle. For every dollar we invest in early education programs there is a return of between $7 and $16. Head Start programs and services are not entitlements but prudent investments in the future of our children and our nation.
As President Barack Obama and congressional leaders consider where to cut federal programs, they should make sustaining funding for Head Start a national priority.
