The future prosperity of our state...

...lies in the youngest Minnesotans

The path to Minnesota’s future prosperity begins with the well-being of all our children. That’s why it’s important to make smart investments in early childhood development and lay the foundation for future success in school, career and life. When we invest wisely in children and families, the next generation will pay that back through a lifetime of productivity and responsible citizenship.

The basic architecture of the human brain is constructed in an ongoing process that begins at birth andcontinues into adulthood. Early experiences literally shape how the brain gets built Chronic stressful conditions in the early years such as extreme poverty, abuse and maternal depression — known as “toxic stress” — can harm a child’s developing brain. A strong foundation in the early years increases the probability of positive outcomes, while a weak foundation increases the odds of later difficulties.

 90% of brain development happens before the age of 5

The quality of life an adult enjoys and the contributions they are able to make to society can be directly linked back to the quality of his or her first few years of life. By investing in high quality opportunities for disadvantaged children there is a direct reduction of costs in K-12, criminal justice and welfare programs and an increase in future contributions to society.

16:1 Return on Investment when focused on meeting the needs of high risk children

While the state faces tough economic times, we must remember that the early care and education sector provides direct support to not only today’s workforce, but the workforce of tomorrow. True investment in high quality early care and education will help break the cycle of poverty and close both the achievement and opportunity gaps that many young Minnesotans face. The current economic times are the worst time to stop investing in the one area that can guarantee the future prosperity of the state. We can either lay the foundations now or pay the price later.

1% of the state budget is currently spent on early care and education

Minnesotans agree that it is time to invest in early care and education. In a 2010 poll done by the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF), voters overwhelming supported this area as a priority for the state:

“It is important for legislators to find ways to improve MN children’s Kindergarten readiness even if additional funding is not available.”(82% agree)

“Improving MN’s ability to prepare kids for school should be one of the top priorities of the Minnesota Legislature.” (76% agree)

“K readiness is an issue where (all parties) should cooperate; it should not become a partisan battleground.”(88% agree)

Download a pdf of these talking points.

Thank you!

The Candidate Conversation on Early Childhood at Macalester College was a great success! Thank you to everyone who attended and submitted questions to the candidates. Candidates Tom Horner (I) and Mark Dayton (DFL) addressed a full audience of parents, early childhood professionals and concerned citizens. Tom Emmer (R) was invited but unable to participate. Thank you to Macalester and the early childhood allies for making this event possible and thanks to The UpTake for recording the conversation and making the event available for viewing online.

Watch live streaming video from theuptake at livestream.com

The Candidate Conversation on Early Childhood was the final piece of a state tour promoting the Minnesota’s Future agenda. Ready 4 K staff visited eight communities to around the state talk with local advocates and raise awareness of the five point agenda with a public celebration. Several communities had local media coverage including print, radio and television.

Gubernatorial Candidate Conversation

The Minnesota's Future allies will host a “Candidate Conversation on Early Childhood” to give candidates an opportunity to engage directly with voters.  The event will be held Tuesday October 5th at 6:30 PM in the Weyerhaeuser Chapel at Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue in St. Paul.  In contrast to a debate, each candidate will appear before the audience in turn and discuss strategies for improving the school readiness and healthy development of young children. Star Tribune editorial writer Denise Johnson will moderate the discussion.

View a flyer for the event here.

Beginning at 7pm, each candidate will have 20 minutes to answer prepared questions as well as questions from the audience. The candidates and the order in which they will appear will be determined closer to the event.

“Early childhood has been discussed in the gubernatorial debates and this is a chance for the candidates to explain in more detail how they will increase the number of children coming to school ready to succeed,” said Todd Otis, president of Ready 4 K. “Investments in early care and education can plant the seeds for a brighter future. Minnesota’s prosperity depends on it.”

Minnesota's Future voter cards

The Minnesota's Future alliance has created a voter card for citizens. These cards are designed to give information on how to vote as well as suggested questions for candidates regarding the priorities in the Minnesota's Future agenda.

Voter cards can be ordered by emailing info(at)minnesotasfuture(dot)net. Please include the number of voter cards you'd like and your contact information in your email.

A dowloadable version of the voter card is available here.