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January 3, 2012 in Opinion
Editorial: Kids’ health, education get a boost from Uncle
He didn’t wrap them in festive paper and affix glittery bows, but Uncle Sam did deliver a couple of huge gifts to Washington state this holiday season.
First out of the sack was $60 million to help the state expand its efforts to prepare more children for kindergarten. Washington was one of nine states to submit winning early learning applications.
The state plans to use the money to expand a quality rating system for preschools, to measure the readiness of kids for kindergarten, and to finance scholarships for child care workers who want to pursue college degrees, according to an Associated Press article.
Investing in early learning is smart, because it eventually pays for itself. Many studies have shown that children who show up at kindergarten behind their peers aren’t likely to ever catch up. Society as a whole pays the price with fewer productive citizens and more government spending on crime and punishment.
The keys are giving the parents of underprivileged children high-quality preschool options and treating early learning as an essential long-term commitment. It has to be much more than day care, and the teachers must be more than baby sitters.
Washington already has a 10-year plan to expand early learning, which gave it a leg up on competitors for federal money. The award softens the blow from failing twice to win “Race to the Top” education grants.
The second gift was a nearly $17 million performance bonus for meeting and exceeding federal targets for enrolling children in health care programs. The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 includes incentives for states to make it easier to enroll children in Medicaid and CHIP plans.
Washington was one of 23 states to get a bonus by meeting at least five of eight criteria designed to cut red tape and increase the participation rate of qualifying families. Plus, the state nabbed extra cash by exceeding the enrollment benchmark by at least 10 percent. It is one of only a handful of states that have won a bonus all three years.
However, this bonus was more of a relief than a windfall, because the money had already been factored into the state’s health care budget. That was a savvy budgeting move because it makes it more difficult to divert the money elsewhere.
The state has long been a national leader in access to health care for children and, with looming budget cuts to Basic Health and possible cuts to Apple Health for Kids, the federal bonus was vital.
What’s remarkable is that during a time of deep economic troubles, the nation has been able to extend early learning opportunities and health coverage to a higher percentage of children.
Those efforts reflect commendable values, which the state of Washington has worked hard to uphold.
To respond to this editorial online, go to www.spokesman.com and click on Opinion under the Topics menu.
MAC firing begs explanation 
gmorton on January 03 at 5:00 a.m.
Oh, yay – another $77 million worth of free lunches added to the federal deficit. Gotta multiply that by 23 states, of course.
I love how these boondoggles always “pay for themselves.” If they are paying for themselves, why do the debts keep piling up?
Diana on January 03 at 6:25 a.m.
A healthy, functional society does not limit education; rather, it provides education for everyone up to the limit of their interests and abilities. What do we expect to see happen when the richest country in the world fails to adequately educate its children?
Investment in education and health care is a great use of my tax dollars. Much better for our future than corporate welfare, oil subsidies, war and Halliburton.
gmorton on January 03 at 8:24 a.m.
Diana wrote,
“A healthy, functional society does not limit education; rather, it provides education for everyone up to the limit of their interests and abilities.”
And well beyond, for about half the kids.
That $77 million will not educate anyone, Diana. It is make—work for another claque of consultants, contractors, and bureaucrats.
“Investment in education and health care is a great use of my tax dollars.”
Prudent investors pay some heed to the return on their investments. What you’re getting for your investment in gummint education is a few million high school graduates who can’t read, can’t multiply or divide, can’t pass the US citizenship test, and who think “from each according to his ability, from each according to his need” is found in the US Constitution.
Diana on January 03 at 9:13 a.m.
“It is make—work for another claque of consultants, contractors, and bureaucrats.” Not sure what you said there , but are you referring to job creation?
And no, gmorton, I know what you wrote is not in the Constitution. I’ve read it. Gummint education, blah, blah, blah, doesn’t change my opinion that investment in our children is a great investment.
de3 on January 03 at 10:11 a.m.
To clarify, this investment is not a gift from “Uncle Sam” but a gift from current and future taxpayers, which is us. Uncle Sam has no money and currently borrows around 40% of Federal general budget spending from our kids and grandkids.
WHS on January 03 at 2:54 p.m.
Diana on January 03 at 6:25 a.m.
A healthy, functional society does not limit education; rather, it provides education for everyone up to the limit of their interests and abilities. What do we expect to see happen when the richest country in the world fails to adequately educate its children?
Investment in education and health care is a great use of my tax dollars. Much better for our future than corporate welfare, oil subsidies, war and Halliburton.
BINGO! Well put Diana…
WHS
johnclarke on January 03 at 3:29 p.m.
Agreed Diana. Don’t worry about ‘ol Mr. 0.5% up there. Gmorton is one of them library-tarians. Oh wait, he would get rid of those too.