A new study, completed by the Wilder Foundation, shows the impact of investing in young children.  The report, commissioned by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC), shows that Michigan taxpayers have saved $1.15 billion because of the state's investments over the past 25 years in early education. 

The study provides estimates of the dollar value of benefits to Michigan in 2009 generated by current school children who received early education services and by young adults who have been more successful because of school readiness programs.  These benefits include:

Schools:

• $221 million in K-12 savings
• $136 million in reduced spending because fewer K-12 students repeated a grade
• $69 million in reduced special education spending for disabilities that have been prevented or ameliorated through early intervention such as mild or moderate speech or language problems, cognitive impairment, specific learning disabilities, emotional impairment and other health problems
• $16 million in reduced costs of replacing teachers who leave their jobs due to dissatisfaction with working conditions related to student behavior or performance that are influenced by improved school readiness

• $584 million in reduced government spending and increased tax revenues
• $214 million in juvenile corrections, which includes reduced costs to arrests, adjudicate and detain juvenile offenders
• $106 million in reduced substantiated child abuse and neglect, including the cost of out-of-home placement
• $94 million in adult criminal justice which includes reduced costs to arrest, process and incarcerate adult offenders
• $66 million in reduced spending by the state on welfare (TANF) and Medicaid due to the improved employment outcomes for disadvantaged children who have reached adulthood
• $40 million in reduced unemployment benefits due to improved employment outcomes for disadvantaged children who have reached adulthood
• $31 million in reduced child care subsidies for families who are eligible for child care subsidy payments but do not use the subsidy while their children are enrolled in the early education program
• $33 million in increased income tax and sales tax revenue due to both higher wages for disadvantaged children who have reached adulthood and higher productivity of parents while their children are enrolled in early education programs

• $347 million in reduced social costs to the public
• $162 million in reduced tangible losses to victims of violent crimes and property offenses committed by juveniles
• $97 million in reduced tangible losses to victims of violent crimes and property offenses committed by adults
• $74 million in increased productivity and incomes of employed parents while their children are enrolled in early education programs
• $14 million in health savings due to reduced alcohol and drug abuse among teenagers and adults who benefited from school readiness programs when they were children

• $115 million in K-12 spending
• $71 million in grade repetition
• $36 million in preventable special education spending
• $8 million in teacher turnover
• $303 million in increased government spending and decreased tax revenues
• $111 million in juvenile corrections
• $55 million in child welfare
• $49 million in adult criminal justice
• $35 million in public assistance (state portion of TANF and Medicaid)
• $21 million in unemployment benefits
• $16 million in child care subsidies
• $16 million in lost income and sales tax revenue
• $180 million in increased social costs
• $84 million losses to victims of juvenile crime
• $51 million losses to victims of adult crime
• $38 million in decreased productivity of employed parents
  
• $7 million in reduced health costs (alcohol, drug abuse)

• The Michigan Collaborative Early Childhood Conference (MECEC) will be held January 27-29, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn. For more information or to register click here.  
• The 10th Annual Midwest Father's Conference will be held Saturday, January 30th at Oakland Schools in Waterford.  For more information or to register click here. 
• On Thursday, February 18th from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, GSC-O will be participating in the 2010 National Smart Start Conference Online at Oakland Schools in Conference Room B. Joan Lombardi, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is the keynote for this event. For more information on speakers and topics, visit www.ncsmartstart.org/conference/2010/reg-info.html. If you are interested in participating in this learning opportunity, please email Lisa Sturges at lisa.sturges@oakland.k12.mi.us to RSVP. A light lunch will be served. 
• Michigan's Great Start Child Care Resource Center at CMU in conjunction with CMU's Child Development and Learning Lab and the Mt. Pleasant Association for the Education of Young Children is pleased to announce the one day Loving Guidance: Conscious Discipline Conference on Thursday, April 29th.  For more information see attached document.