JUNEAU – Today Representative Chris Tuck praised the findings of the 2012 Crime Summit, which indicated that there is a return to the state of $3 for every $1 invested in early childhood education.

“This report confirms what we have seen in others studies—that investment in early childhood education helps children throughout their lives and saves money by reducing crime, increasing graduation rates, increasing individual incomes, and reducing the need for remedial education,” said Rep. Tuck. “I hope this will help convince the Legislature to move forward on my Parents as Teachers bill and allow Alaskan families to access to a program that has been proven to greatly improve early development.”

Rep. Tuck’s bill (HB 49) would expand the successful Parents as Teachers services throughout Alaska. Parents as Teachers places mentors in communities to teach parents about young children’s brain development and how to best work with preschool-age children to take advantage of the years where children’s brains are developing the fastest. Parents as Teachers is voluntary and is a very cost-effective way to help children across the state get ahead of the curve going into elementary school.

HB 49 is currently awaiting a hearing in the House Finance Committee. It passed the House on a 32-5 vote in 2010 but ran out of time in the Senate that year.