As we argue, children wait for improved lives

DAN MCKAY’S article “Archbishop pressed on racism charge” (March 5) shows how willing New Mexico citizens and legislators are to overlook children and their real needs and instead debate matters that, although interesting and ultimately worthwhile, may distract us from immediately acting to improve young people’s lives. We would all benefit from careful study of institutional racism in our state, but meanwhile the children wait and windows of opportunity for their critical early development are closing.

This post-legislative discussion on systemic racism behind the failed bid to fund early childhood education through the state’s permanent funds provides interesting fodder for speculation and finger-pointing, but the central issue remains the experience of children in our state, the abundance of bad ratings for what it is to raise a child here, and our desperate need to make this a familyfriendly place to live. Our next legislative session must find a way to make this expenditure acceptable or New Mexico will continue to show poorly in its lack of interest in the well-being of children. Our children’s futures as well as national perception of our values and managerial capacity are at stake.

Sources including the Center for Disease Control, MIT, the RAND Corp. and the National Institutes of Health have examined the economics of early childhood education programs and the evidence is robust: early childhood programs for kids from low-income families generate as much as $4 to $17 of economic benefits over a child’s lifetime for every dollar spent. That is a solid business case for investment. There is no argument that early childhood programs save money. Forget about what it does to improve lives, but the money argument makes this a simple choice. If we want to save money over time, we need to invest now.

In 10 months we get another chance to do the right thing and show that we are informed and responsible adult voters and legislators. Everyone wins when we fund early childhood programs.