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TENNESSEE POLICY

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Tennessee is a statewide bipartisan anti-crime group led by 80 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, other police leaders, and violence survivors. As leaders on the front-line in the battle against crime, our mission is to take a hard-nosed look at the research about what works to keep kids from becoming criminals. Research and experience show that certain targeted investments in programs that give kids a good start in life will prevent children from engaging in later crime and violence. These investments include quality early education and care, child abuse and neglect prevention, after-school programs, and programs that help troubled kids get back on track.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Tennessee primarily works on federal legislation supporting crime-prevention investments in kids. This year our efforts will focus on:

• Expanding and improving in-home parent coaching services. Central to this effort is ensuring passage of legislation similar to last year's Education Begins at Home Act.


• advocating for a federal budget that prioritizes proven investments in kids that will help them get the right start in life and avoid later crime. This includes efforts to reauthorize and fully fund Head Start.

For more information on our areas of focus, please visit our federal policy page.

On the state level, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Tennessee has been active in the effort to expand the state's pre-kindergarten program and improve the state's mental health services for children.

• In the past two years, Governor Bredeson has added $25 and $20 million for new pre-K classrooms. This year he has proposed an additional $25 million. Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Tennessee will make passage of this increase one of our top legislative priorities.


• Tennessee is currently in the second year of a three-year effort to revise and improve the state's mental health services for children. This includes a number of programs ranging from identification of children with mental health problems to assisting previously incarcerated juveniles re-enter society.

If you would like further information or have any questions about Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Tennessee's policy priorities, please contact Mark Rogers at mrogers@fightcrime.org.