CALIFORNIA — Orange County District Attorney and State Legislator Tour Preschool, Discuss Crime-Prevention Benefits

Jun 11th 2010

MISSION VIEJO — Assemblymember Jeff Miller (R-Orange) and Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas today visited students at Robert Lange Preschool, located on the campus of Mount of Olives Church, to see first-hand how early education is preparing children for the future.

“When children attend preschool, they have the opportunity to interact with other kids and learn how to peacefully deal with conflicts. They are much more likely to be successful in the future and graduate, and are less likely to commit a crime or be arrested,” said District Attorney Rackauckas, an Executive Committee member of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California. “Unfortunately, not enough kids have access to quality preschool in Orange County.”

Studies show that children who attend a high-quality preschool are less likely to get in trouble with the law, and are 44 percent more likely to graduate from high school—something that is critically important to Orange County. In cost-benefit analyses, economists have found high-quality preschool provides an excellent return on investment.

However, access to quality preschool programs remains limited and many of the kids who need it most are not enrolled. Only 32% of eligible low-income 4-year-olds in Assembly District 71, Assemblymember Miller’s district, are enrolled in state- and federally-funded preschool programs. Moreover, as of June 2009, counties in Assembly District 71 had over 2,537 3- and 4-year-olds on waiting lists for subsidized preschool.

Assemblymember Miller joined District Attorney Rackauckas in touring the preschool classroom and reading to the children. “As a father of two girls, I truly believe that keeping our streets safe is the first priority of government. I understand the value of early education in preparing children for the future, so they stay on track to succeed in school and stay out of trouble,” Miller said. “The tour today showed me first hand the positive impact that preschool has on our youth. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to interact with the teachers and children and gain a deeper understanding of the benefits of children receiving a high quality early education”

Thanks to recent action in Washington, D.C., early childhood education has become a priority for lawmakers across the country. The President’s proposed budget includes billions of dollars in new competitive grants for early education.

In November 2009 Governor Schwarzenegger signed an executive order creating the California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care that positions California to compete for federal funds for early education programs. The council, a statewide planning body, will ensure efficiency, effectiveness and accountability in California’s early childhood education system.

In recent years, the state made significant progress in the area of early education. Legislation such as AB 2759 (Jones) streamlined several preschool funding sources in 2008 to assist in quality improvements, reduce administrative burdens and make preschool more accessible.

SB 1629 (Steinberg), also enacted in 2008, established the Early Learning Quality Improvement System advisory committee. The committee will lay the framework for quality standards for preschool and child care programs. Development of the quality improvement system will consider research, policies, program information, and best practices at the national, state, and local levels.

Assemblymember Miller and District Attorney Rackauckas also met with local education leaders to discuss the benefits of high-quality preschool programs and the need for continued investments in early education. Participants included: Director of Robert Lange Preschool Joan Lundbohm; and Orange County Department of Education Administrator of Instructional Services Cathy Wietstock, Ed.D.

Proposed state budget cuts would eliminate preschool funding for more than 50,000 children from low-income working families statewide. Some students at Robert Lange Preschool rely on state subsidies to attend the program.

On behalf of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, District Attorney Rackauckas, along with law enforcement leaders around the state, have called for continued investments in access to quality preschool as a means of protecting public safety.


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Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California is a bipartisan, non-profit, anti-crime organization led by 400 sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys, and victims of violence. Its mission is to take a critical look at the research about what really works to keep kids from becoming criminals. Among the strategies proven to be effective are preschool, after-school, dropout-prevention, child abuse and neglect prevention programs, and intensive interventions for juvenile offenders. www.fightcrime.org/ca