We cannot expect different outcomes when we continue to cut funding. We know that the brain develops the most during the first 3 years of life. Any connections and experiences that are missed during those first 3 years can be made up, but now we are doing catch-up work. We live in a society that benefits from systematic racism; even though no one alive created this system, it is still the reality we are all living in. A growing number of our population, specifically young children growing up in minority and low-income neighborhoods, do not have easy access to the resources they need. While 10% of all children live in poverty, that percentage jumps to 29% when just looking at African American and Latinx children in Hillsborough County. If the parents and caregivers of these children don’t have the basic skills and resources to better themselves, how can we expect them to be able to raise strong and resilient children? All of the largest societal issues we see plaguing our cities today: crime, addiction, suicide, mental illness; could be easily and effectively combated with early intervention when the funds are distributed properly.

Early education and care are not a waste of funding. We implore our local leaders and legislators to keep advocating on behalf of our youngest citizens and those who care for them. It is the most cost-effective way for us to assist the parents, children, educators, and ultimately the workforce of today and the future.