Early Education

High-quality early education programs that give kids the right start in life are among the most powerful weapons we have in the fight against crime. 



New York State law enforcement leaders work everyday to put dangerous, violent criminals behind bars. From years on the front line fighting crime, police chiefs, sheriffs and prosecutors know that we can beat back crime with a commitment to investing in pre-kindergarten and educational childcare that keep kids from becoming criminals in the first place. The evidence is in. Quality early education readies kids to learn, reinforces respect and responsibility for others and reduces behavior problems that can spiral out of control. Research confirms that at-risk children left out of quality pre-kindergarten are five times more likely to grow up to become criminals by age 27 than children in pre-kindergarten. Quality pre-kindergarten also saves $17 for every $1 invested.

An investment in pre-k will positively impact New York's high school drop out crisis and improve our public safety. Nearly three out of ten high school students are failing to graduate on time. We know that high school dropouts earl less, pay fewer taxes and are more likely to collect welfare and turn to a life of crime. The news is that long term studies show that high quality pre-k increases graduation rates by as much as 44 percent and in turn dramatically cuts crime. Increasing graduation rates by 10 percentage points would prevent 180 murders and 9,100 aggravated assaults in New York each year.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids New York calls on New York Policy Makers to:

• Provide all families access to quality pre-kindergarten and educational child care programs to reduce crime.
• Expand early investments in proven programs for at-risk children and their families so every child comes to school ready to learn.

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