Early childhood: missed opportunities

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff mentioned West Virginia last weekend in a column highlighting the importance of early childhood programs as a means of fighting poverty. As it happens, preserving funding for such programs is one of the top priority items for AFSC in WV and for our allies in the Our Children Our Future Campaign to End Child Poverty.

Ironically, last year, Gov. Tomblin appointed a task force to look at early childhood programs. The group recommended a statewide expansion of home visiting programs over several years. Instead, the programs were targeted for a 25 percent budget cut in the governor's budget...mostly to pay for tax cuts for corporations.

However, our friends at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, had this to say about poverty factors that Kristoff minimizes. It's worth a look. One can be for expanded early childhood programs without ignoring the big picture.