High Quality Preschool Improves Health Position Statement

Whereas, Interact for Health supported a Health Impact Assessment of expanding access to high quality preschool to all children in Cincinnati Public Schools,

Whereas, the assessment showed that over ten years expanding access to high quality preschool for all children:

Would provide access to 20,000 more children, including more than 9,000 children that live in poverty,
Would reduce child abuse and neglect by 27%,
Would prevent 500 children from being held back a year in school, and from being enrolled in special education,
Would help 3,500 more students to graduate from high school,
Would result in 4,000 fewer crimes,
Would increase those 20,000 children annual earnings by $9,000.

Whereas, increased income is directly related to improved health outcomes and lower mortality rates,

Whereas, the mission of Interact for Health is to improve the health of the people of the Cincinnati region,

Therefore, Interact for Health believes that policies should support the expansion of high quality preschool for all children.

Resolved, on Nov. 10, 2016, the Interact for Health System Strategies Committee voted to support the above position statement.