We Spend the least on our children when they need it the most. For tens of thousands, the result is a bad start in life from which they may never recover. That’s not only bad for the kids, it’s bad for everyone. Research has shown that every dollar spent on early childhood education delivers a $7 return on investments.

THE STATISTICS


49% of kids who do not know their ABC’s at the start of kindergarten come from Middle-Upper income families. Surprised? Most people are. However, the kids who are unprepared is an equal opportunity problem. Fortunately, Orange County now has the opportunity to fix the problem by making early childhood education a priority.

THE REALITY


Thousands of Virginia children are already behind when they enter kindergarten and their parents don’t know why. That can be a real problem. Research has shown that those children can have a higher risk of social and emotional problems for the rest of their lives. It isn’t right for our kids. It isn’t right for our community. However, it is something we can change.

THE SOLUTION


A lot of good things happen when we invest in early childhood education. There are fewer dropouts, less crime and smarter more productive Virginians. Yet we only invest 4% of our education dollars at this critical time in our children’s development. They deserve better than that.