Noted University of Chicago economics professor Dr. James J. Heckman, an expert on the economics of early childhood development, made the linked presentation in Monterey County, CA, on March 8, 2012.  Of particular note is that investing in early childhood development has proven long-term rates of return of 7-10%, higher than the return on equity from 1945-2008.

For those following JCCI’s Children: 1-2-3 project, this is a fascinating read.  Dr. Heckman’s bio:

James J. Heckman is the Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, where he has served since 1973. In 2000, he shared the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel with Daniel McFadden. Heckman directs the Economics Research Center in the Department of Economics and the Center for Social Program Evaluation at the Harris School for Public Policy, and Professor of Law at the University of Chicago School of Law. In addition, he is Professor of Science and Society in University College Dublin and a Senior Research Fellow at the American Bar Foundation. His work has been devoted to the development of a scientific basis for economic policy evaluation. He has developed a body of new econometric tools that address these issues. His recent research focuses on inequality, human development and lifecycle skill formation, with a special emphasis on the economics of early childhood. He is currently analyzing new social experiments on early childhood interventions and reanalyzing old experiments.

Dr. Heckman’s Monterey presentation can be accessed through this link:

http://www.heckmanequation.org/content/resource/march-8-monterey-presentation-and-private-notes

Thanks to Children: 1-2-3 Implementation Task Force member Ray Holt for bringing Dr. Heckman’s work to our attention.

Steve Rankin

Following the release in 2009 of JCCI's inquiry on City Finances (Our Money, Our City: Financing Jacksonville's Future), a subcommittee of the project's advocacy task force began the process of looking closely at the growing crisis in funding shortages in Jacksonville's three public pension plans.  It was, and still is, the elephant in the room that dwarfs all other aspects of the financial mess the City faces.

Estimates at that time were that the unfunded liability of the three funds exceeded $1.5 billion, and in 2011, the City faced required funding obligations of $118 million to the three plans, an amount equal to nearly 13% of the entire General Fund budget.  The Mayor's Transition Committee on Pensions estimated that with no substantive pension reform measures in place, that total would grow to $180 million by 2016 and to $350 million by 2026, with no end in sight. These are clearly unsustainable numbers that, if left unchecked, will ultimately lead the City to financial ruin.

That picture became even darker recently when the results of a required periodic actuarial review determined that, because of obsolete and inaccurate assumptions, the City's pension obligation for 2012-13 is actually $44 million more than previously anticipated . The total unfunded liability probably exceeds $2 billion, considerably more than the $1.5 billion that was estimated in 2009.

When the JCCI inquiry was released in 2009, there was little public recognition of the severity of the pension crisis, so there was a corresponding lack of appetite on the part of elected officials to take politically unpopular positions necessary to do something about it.  As the two-year advocacy period unfolded, public understanding and concern grew significantly, as did the realization in the Mayor's office and at City Council that the community could no longer afford to bury its head in the sand and wish the problem would go away on its own.

Mayor Brown has recognized the need for aggressive pension reform, announcing it as one of the top priorities of his administration from the day he assumed office last summer.  Encouragingly, newly-appointed City Council President Bill Bishop has recently said the same.  To date, however, political rhetoric has been the extent of activity relating to the pension crisis, at least as far as the general public can tell.

It's no longer enough to merely talk about pension reform.  The City continues to hemorrhage while we wait for a plan for action, and the longer we wait, the worse the crisis becomes.  No one should be deceived into thinking that arriving at the level of pension reform we need will be easy.  Collective bargaining and negotiating over compensation and future benefits never is.  But for the City to avoid financial calamity, it must be accomplished, and it must begin now.  Hopefully, intensive preparations for pension reform negotiations have been unfolding behind closed doors in recent months, and we can only hope that substantive discussions will soon commence.

Much has been said and written recently about the legalities and potential ramifications of cities in even worse pension-related financial predicaments filing for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, most recently in Stockton, CA.  The article linked below provides some useful insights on that subject, one all of us hope never becomes a necessity in Jacksonville.

http://www.governing.com/columns/public-finance/col-stockton-californias-debt-problems-may-set-precedent.html

Steve Rankin

JCCI's Children: 1-2-3 implementation work is gearing up this summer.  As we found in the nine-month inquiry, brain development occurs rapidly in the first year after birth, particularly the first three months.  This study suggests the more time in the mother's womb, the better:

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20120702/US.MED.Timely.Births.Risks/ 
 

Early full-term babies may face later school woes

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP

CHICAGO — Even for infants born full-term, a little more time in the womb may matter.

The extra time results in more brain development, and a study suggests perhaps better scores on academic tests, too.

Full-term is generally between 37 weeks and 41 weeks; newborns born before 37 weeks are called premature and are known to face increased chances for health and developmental problems.

The children in the study were all full-term, and the vast majority did fine on third-grade math and reading tests. The differences were small, but the study found that more kids born at 37 or 38 weeks did poorly than did kids born even a week or two later.

The researchers and other experts said the results suggest that the definition of prematurity should be reconsidered.

The findings also raise questions about hastening childbirth by scheduling cesarean deliveries for convenience — because women are tired of being pregnant or doctors are busy — rather than for medical reasons, the researchers say.

Women should "at least proceed with caution before electing to have an earlier term birth," said lead author Dr. Kimberly Noble, an assistant pediatrics professor at Columbia University Medical Center.

The study involved 128,000 New York City public school children and included a sizable number of kids from disadvantaged families. But the authors said similar results likely would be found in other children, too.

Of the children born at 37 weeks, 2.3 percent had severely poor reading skills and 1.1 percent had at least moderate problems in math. That compares to 1.8 percent and 0.9 percent for the children born at 41 weeks.

Children born at 38 weeks faced only slightly lower risks than those born at 37 weeks.

Compared with 41-weekers, children born at 37 weeks faced a 33 percent increased chance of having severe reading difficulty in third grade, and a 19 percent greater chance of having moderate problems in math.

"These outcomes are critical and predict future academic achievement," said Naomi Breslau, a Michigan State University professor and sociologist. Her own research has linked lower IQs in 6-year-olds born weighing the same as the average birth weights at 37 and 38 weeks' gestation, compared with those born heavier.

The study was published online Monday in Pediatrics.

The research "will cause quite a stir," said Dr. Judy Aschner, a pediatrics professor and neonatology director at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

"There are still a lot of babies who are being delivered more or less electively at 37 and 38 weeks, with people thinking, `This is no big deal — these babies are full-term.' I think this is a big deal," Aschner said. She was not involved in the study.

Aschner said no one is recommending trying to delay childbirth for women who go into labor at 37 weeks or 38 weeks.

"I don't want to panic moms whose babies come at 37 weeks," she said. "But those elective early deliveries really need to stop."

Some hospitals including Vanderbilt require obstetricians planning elective C-sections to complete a checklist and if appropriate boxes aren't checked, the operation can't be performed, Aschner said.

In the study, 15 percent of children were born in C-section operations but there was no information on how many of these were elective or medically necessary procedures. C-sections can cause birth complications that also increase chances for developmental delays. But the researchers took that into account, along with other risk factors including low birth weight, lack of prenatal care, smoking during pregnancy and neighborhood poverty — all of which could contribute to academic difficulties. And they still found that birth at 37 weeks and 38 weeks was an additional risk.

__

Online:

Pediatrics: http://www.pediatrics.org

Pre-term birth: http://1.usa.gov/NNmf6U

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Posted by Steve Rankin

Here's a link to the nationally syndicated Diane Rehm radio program exploring the ongoing struggle to balance career and family, a critical issue facing all parents in the early development of their children:

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-06-25/ongoing-struggle-balance-career-and-family

Steve Rankin

Have you ever wondered, “What happens when JCCI inquiries are completed?”

We call it the “so what?” question, and it goes to the core of JCCI’s mission of impacting the quality of life in Northeast Florida in a positive way.

At the conclusion of each community inquiry, a two-year implementation period is initiated for the purpose of advocating for the successful implementation of the inquiry’s recommendations.  A volunteer advocacy task force is assembled, often with 50 or more members participating.  These are typically people from all walks of life who share a passionate interest in the inquiry topic, and who are willing to devote their time and energy to making a difference in their community.

More often than not, their work is conducted behind the scenes and without fanfare.  These are folks who are not in it for acknowledgement or to appear in the spotlight.  Frequently, in fact, they influence positive outcomes but you never hear about it.  That’s because they routinely deflect the credit to outside stakeholders with whom they have worked…their interest is progress, not recognition.

But make no mistake; they represent the backbone of the organization’s efforts to make Jacksonville a better place.  Through the years, there have been thousands of concerned citizens who have participated in JCCI implementation projects, and most have remained relatively anonymous to the general public.  Their contributions have been considerable, however, and the community is a better place for their selfless efforts.

JCCI implementations aren’t for everyone, but if this sounds potentially appealing to you, please consider joining us as we embark on our latest project, the result of the recently-completed nine-month inquiry into early childhood development (Children: 1-2-3).  We’re now in the process of assembling the Task Force, and we’ll hold an Orientation Meeting at JCCI on Wednesday, June 27 (11:30 – 1:00 p.m.) to fully acquaint all those interest in the project ahead and the responsibilities of participation.  We’d love to have you join us…you don’t need a background in childhood development, just a strong desire to do something good in your community.  Let me know by email (steve@jcci.org) that you’d like to find our more by attending the Orientation Meeting…no strings attached.

And the next time you ask yourself the “so what” question, take a moment to consider the countless volunteers who have rolled up their sleeves through the years and worked on advocacy task forces with the goal of improving the quality of life for us all.  That will be all the recognition they seek.

Chris Arab, Ana Arnaiz, Tim Ballentine, Kris Barnes, Sherri Brown, J.F. Bryan, Chris Buckley, Betty Burney, Charles Cline, Jim Crooks, Kay Earhart, Bill Gates, Carolyn Girardeau, Warren Grymes, Donna Hulsey, Janice Hunter, Deon Johnson, Sylvia Johnson, Kathe Kasten, Marcia Lebold, Levander Lilly, Amy Lingren, Jesse Murray, Marsha Oliver, Rachel Raneri, Cheryl Riddick, Etoile Graves-Smith, Connie Stophel, Louis Venson, Linda Wilkinson, Jim Williams, Rhonda Williams, Andy Sikes, Barry Heath, Betsy Miller, Dave Bailey, David Boyer, Doris Marlin, Eric Smith, Guy Anderson, Jan Duggar, Jeanne Chappell, Jerry Spinks, Jill Johnson, Jim Overton, Jimmy Orth, John TenBroeck, Ken Wilson, Linda Burnette, Lisa Rowe Rinaman, Lucy Cortese, Lynette Self, Melody Bishop, Mike Barile, Quinton White, Ron Gay, Susan Caven, Ted Pappas, Ted Stumm, Teresa Monson, Adrienne Conrad, Thomas Bryant III, Paula Chaon, Daphne Colbert, Meg Folds, Mary Gebhart, Nancy Georgion, Helen Jackson, Joanne Kazmierski, Sandra Lane, Candace Moody, Steve Nix, John Otterson, George Palmer, Scott Sanborn, Kathy Sandusky, Karen Shelley, Carlton Shelton, Elise Sloan, Glenda Washington, Don Anderson, Sarah Boren, Denise Bunnewith, Cara Connolly, Bruce Doueck, James Geller, Gabe Hanson, Mike Hartman, Mary Hayford, Wayne Hogan, Jennifer Holbrook, Karen Kempf, Berdell Knowles, Bill Larson, Marci Larson, Athena Mann, Mark McCrainie, Mike McCarthy, Dave McLintock, Quilla Miralia, David Norse, Chris Rogers, Vince Seibold, Scott Skinner, Eric Smith, Paul Steinbrecher, Allen Tilley, Peg Tilley, Christi Veleta, Susan White, Jay Worley, Vicki Abrams, Tempie Alexander, Wakilah Augustus, Shakera Bailey, Steve Baker, Dale Bell, Blair Blackard, Kathy Bowles, Vanessa Boyer, Carol Brady, Joy Burgess, Anthony Butler, Tom Rodgers, Meredith Chartrand Frisch, Dawn Clarke, Alton Coles, Sandy Cook, Cleshawn Cooks, Helen Crawford, Rae Davies, Melodie Dove, Lawrence DuBow, Dawn Emerick, Donna Ghanayem, Jeff Goldhagen, Etoile Graves-Smith, Loretta Haycock, Toni Herndon, Sarah Holdstein, Kathy Ingram, Beverly Legree, Casey McConnell, Janet McDonald, Bobbie O’Connor, Deborah Parsons, Julia Pickren, Tala Reynolds, Rhonda Santos, Steve Sepe, Karen Smithson, Wilma Starks, Carol Synkewecz, Jackie Thompson, Lowrie Ward, Patricia Washington, Julia Watkins, Delphia Williams, Karen Wolfson, John Anderson, Tony Bates, Danny Berenberg, Dana Ferrell Birchfield, Anne Borngesser, Joan Carver, Jack Caulkins, Sheila Caulkins, Richard Cohee, Matt Corrigan, Logan Cross, Dan Curran, Jill Dame, Richard Danford, Bobby Deal, Jack Diamond, Randy Evans, Greg Frazier, Pat Hannan, Abel Harding, Alberta Hipps, Bill Hoff, Sr., Bob Johnson, Jerry Knowles, Michael Korn, Kenneth Lathrop, Helen Ludwig, Conrad Markle, Jay McGovern, Mickey Miller, Steve Naso, George Owen, Linda Perry, Mary Alice Phelan, Ray Purvis, Jean Pyle, Jim Rinaman, Alicia Somers, Bill Sulzbacher, Lucy Talley, Ray Van Landingham, Dorcas Tanner, Cleve Warren, John Welch, John Zona, Tom Patton, Renae Sweeney, Harry Corbett, Gary Dallero, Marilyn Feldstein, Tamera Hudnell, Les Krieger, Frank Pearce, Stephen Pollan, Margaret Winter, Jonathan Cantor, Marcel Dulay, Dorette Nysewander, Jim Sylvester, Mark Tumeo, Nancy Garcia, Jeff Green, Kenneth James, Colleen McFarlane, Michelle Tappouni, Jack Manilla, Lad Daniels, Janice Donaldson, Carey Hepler, Andre Higgins, Steve Marro, Jackie Perry, Clive Ricketts, Deborah Thompson, Cathy Chambers, Laura Maloney, Catherine Christie, Heather Hughes, Carol Kartsonis, Joan Kramer, Karen Landry, Lavetta McCoy, Natasha Parks, Karen Rieley, Cassie Sager, Katie Salz, Cecil Williams, Lisa Wright, Susan Cohn, Elizabeth DeJesus, Jennifer Hewett-Apperson, Valerie Feinberg, Jennifer Graham, Eric Lindstrom, Carol Gilham, Jacqui Lowe, Truitt Moreland, Jose Rivera, Cathy Webb, Jocelyn Turner, Cheryl Gaston, Susan Masucci, Gozi Chuku, Elexia Moss, Patricia Knight, Laureen Husband, ReShawndia  Mitchell, Temisha Hill, Rose White, Karen Coleman, Dana Fields-Johnson, Sherri Cheshire, Chris Lester, Laura Bailet, Amy Buggle, Joy Burgess, Anne Claridge, Johnna Cooper-Daniels, Skip Cramer, Megan Denk, Rocelia Gonzalez, Judy Rodriguez, Derrick Smith, Cynthia Harpman, Becky Henderson, Bryan Hensley, John Hirabayashi, Connie Hodges, Melanie Patz, Ray Holt, Eva Jenkins, John Kabat, Joy Korman, Linda Lanier, Susan Main, Susan Mankowski, Susan Mattox, Mary Nash, Judy Poppell, Ginger Preston, Laurie Price, Nicole Randall, Vickie Robinson, Geoff Selhorst, Christine Stephens, Lucy Wells, Jeanne Dillard, Nancy Kuhn, Robert Littell, Paula Ruffner, Samantha Lawson.

The individuals listed above are the members of JCCI’s volunteer advocacy task forces since 2006, the year I joined the organization.  These are people who change the face of our community…thank you to all of them.

Steve Rankin

Back in the day, I distinctly remember how totally unprepared and terrified I felt (my wife Amy too) when we drove home from the hospital a couple days after the birth of our daughter.  We didn’t know anything about caring for a newborn…we didn’t even know how to carry her properly or change a diaper.  Why didn’t they cover this stuff at Lamaze class!

 Like all parents, we did the best we could, acting more on instinct than anything else.  We felt like we got the hang of it fairly quickly, but there was always the lingering doubt in the back of our minds that maybe there was more to this than we knew.

 Did we realize that a significant part of our daughter’s brain development was still to be completed, most of it in her first 12 months of life?  Not a clue.  Did we have any idea that we were beginning a critical birth through three window of opportunity that would determine her capacity to learn in school and for the rest of her life?  I guess we understood some basics about the need to stimulate your child and to provide a safe, nurturing environment, but we had no idea that everything we did or exposed her to was shaping her gene expression and brain development.

 Maybe I was overly naïve, even for the time, but I figured your brainpower is what you’re born with.  Parents could help prepare their kids socially and emotionally for what was ahead, but surely we couldn’t do anything about their brains once they had entered the world.

 That was 1985, and thankfully, Lauren and her brother Nicholas who came along two years later, survived their parents naivete and have become well-adapted adults with bright futures ahead.  But was there more her mom and I could have - and should have – done if we had known better?

 Fast-forward to 2012 and JCCI’s recently completed in-depth community inquiry on early childhood development (Children 1-2-3).  Medical science has made great strides in understanding early brain development of newborns, infants, and toddlers, as well as the factors that determine a child’s readiness to learn during the crucial first three years of life.  We now know, as the Children 1-2-3 report indicates, “that life success requires successful brain development, healthy cognitive and physical, emotional, social, and mental development – each of which reinforces the other – from the very start.  The window of opportunity opens with a newborn’s first breath.”

 There are, it turns out, a variety of things parents can do in the first three years to give their children the best start possible, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor, college educated or high school dropouts.  All children have vulnerabilities, some more than others, but none are exempt.  Understanding and addressing the areas where your children are most vulnerable is what parents can do now that we didn’t know about in my day.

 I won’t go into more detail now because JCCI will be releasing the final report of the Children 1-2-3 project at a luncheon at the Schultz Center on June 22 (to attend, call 396-3052 for details).  Be sure to look for the report on our website that day.

 It’s what comes next, however, that will determine the ultimate success of the project.  We’ll be forming a volunteer Advocacy Task Force that will spend the next two years working to ensure the implementation of the nine important recommendations from the Children 1-2-3 inquiry. Our primary objective will be to make all parents and prospective parents aware of the things they can do to maximize their children’s learning potential and to see them thriving in their lives ahead.  These include the things I know now that I wish I’d known then!

 If you share our enthusiasm for this important project, we invite you to join our Children 1-2-3 Advocacy Task Force.  We’ll hold an Orientation Meeting to explain the project and the responsibilities associated with it at JCCI on Wednesday, June 27, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.   Let me know that you plan to attend (steve@jcci.org), and feel free to invite your friends and colleagues.

 We have a real chance over the next two years to make an important impact on our children and our community for generations to come.  We hope you’ll join us.

Steve Rankin