The Legislature made difficult decisions about what to cut and what to keep in the 2011-13 budget. I was glad to see that home visiting and high-quality preschool were among the programs they chose to keep.
Home visiting is a proven strategy for preventing crime. These voluntary programs are
designed to provide young parents with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand their children’s developmental needs. Home visiting dramatically reduces child abuse, cutting crime now and in the future since abused children often grow up to be abusers. This multi-generational cycle of abuse is one that I have seen far too often in my years in law enforcement.
Research on high-quality preschools has shown that at-risk kids who attend these programs are far less likely to engage in crime as juveniles and adults than those who don’t. In one study, disadvantaged children left out of the high-quality preschool were 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime by age 18 and five times more likely to be repeat offenders by age 27.
Investments in home visiting and early learning are investments in our future — a future with children ready for success in school and in life, stronger families and safer communities.
Sheriff John Lovick
Snohomish County
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
