Group says state should spend on early child development

An Iowa child advocacy group is touting a new report that says the state should spend 225 to 400 million dollars per year on early child development programs. Former Iowa legislator Charles Bruner is the executive director of the Child & Family Policy Center.He says development of our young children is probably the best investment we can make in our state’s overall economic future and he says this report confirms that. Bruner says the report explains the cost benefits of investing in these programs in the areas of employment and earnings, crime and poverty, Social Security, government revenue and educational achievement. He says they think the report will be a great reference and resource for state decision makers as they move forward, because it lays out what are effective programs. Bruner says the report points out the increase in child poverty in Iowa. He says a sector of the Iowa child population is struggling economically, socially and educationally, and he says the types of investments proposed in the report ensure that all kids start school ready to succeed. The report was written by Robert Lynch, Chair of the Department of Economics at Washington College. You can find the report at:www.cfpciowa.org.