Original Source | The News-Review
Wednesday December 1, 2010

During the holidays, we're all more aware of helping the less fortunate among us. It's fairly easy to toss some coins into a Salvation Army red kettle, donate canned food or buy a toy for a children's toy drive.

Those efforts can make the holidays brighter for low-income families. In reality, they are bandages applied to the larger wound of poverty.

Concerns over the poverty that face many Oregon families and what it means for the future of our state prompted one businessman to look closer at the issue. Richard Alexander, who founded the window and door manufacturing company Viking Industries of Portland, visited Roseburg Monday to talk with local leaders about what he's discovered.

As a business leader, he's concerned about the future of our work force, especially when he sees an increasing number of high school dropouts. He knows those dropouts will burden Oregonians. Those who give up on education are more likely to draw unemployment, collect food stamps and rely on state-subsidized health care. If they have families, the chances of their children graduating from high school is less likely. So a cycle of unemployment, often accompanied by other social problems, begins.

If Oregon doesn't find a way to break these cycles of poverty, Alexander believes the cost of social programs will increase beyond the affordability of tax-paying Oregonians.

"Doing something about these kids is a moral imperative and an economic issue," Alexander said.

While he acknowledged that it's the responsibility of parents to love, nurture and raise their children to become productive, tax-paying citizens, he said when the parents fail, society ends up paying in the long run.

That's why he's come to believe that providing effective early childhood education is a wise investment for Oregon's future.

"Money invested in the first five years of a child's life brings the best return on investment," Alexander said, drawing on research from the Children's Institute in Portland that shows the return can be as high as $17 for every dollar invested in early childhood education.

The institute's research has shown that children who are behind in reading in first grade have only a 1 in 8 chance of catching up. And children who are poor readers in third grade are unlikely to graduate from high school.

Alexander leads his cause through the Ready for School campaign, which pushes for additional government funding for Head Start prekindergarten programs and Early Head Start. He also acknowledges the success of Healthy Start, Early Intervention and relief nursery programs, which are available locally.

The Whipple Foundation Fund, founded by the late Mildred Whipple of Elkton and part of the Oregon Community Foundation, sponsored Alexander's visit to get a sense of the interest in advancing early childhood programs in Douglas County. Anyone who would like to get behind such efforts is encouraged to contact the foundation's events coordinator, MeChelle Feldkamp, at 541-430-1367.

Those in attendance had some concerns: They want to ensure efforts are coordinated to avoid duplication of existing programs; and they are open to nonprofit or faith-based organizations providing this education, rather than relying on the government. Some also mentioned that parents would likely do better at getting their children ready for school if their own self-esteem were boosted by having jobs, reminding everyone of our high unemployment rate.

While our society has plenty of needs, seeing that all children start kindergarten ready to learn is an important goal to work toward.