Act now for youngsters

Proposition 1, the Spokane Children’s Investment Fund, has a plan. The $5 million dollar fund will target four areas: early childhood learning, child abuse services, mentoring and after school.

The Spokesman wants the fund to name programs and does not trust the “request for proposal” (RFP) process to determine specific agencies to fund (editorial, Oct. 2). That is a horrible argument – all major foundations and government agencies use the RFP process.

Language has been added to the Spokane ordinance to ensure that best-practice, research-based programs will be funded, negating the argument that other cities have not decreased their dropout rates. Dropout reduction programs have not been widely adopted because they have not had sustainable funding, a reason to vote yes.

The Spokesman would like to wait for Priority Spokane to come back with better recommendations. Priority Spokane is focused on only the middle school years. A preponderance of research points out that you must focus on all years of the child’s life to keep them in school.

It is time to act, not study the issue more. Spokane must not wait when it comes to our children. Spokane must put our children first by passing Proposition 1 on Nov. 2.

Ben Stuckart

People for the Spokane Children’s Investment Fund Steering Committee

Spokane