Knoxville Faith Leaders Release New Report Saying Quality Pre-K Helps Reduce Births Outside of Marriage and Strengthens Families

Faith Leaders Urge Legislature to Oppose Cuts to Funding

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Representing more than 50 Tennessee pastors who are members of the new non-profit, Shepherding the Next Generation, Knoxville area faith leaders today urged state policy makers to continue to support high-quality voluntary pre-k programs saying such programs play a critical role in strengthening families.

Area faith leaders participating in the press conference were Grant Standefer, Executive Director of the Compassion Coalition; Mark Brackney, Pastor of the Arlington Church of Christ; Dr. David Trempe, Executive Chaplain of the Royal Chaplain Corps; Dr. John A. Butler, Presiding Elder, Knoxville District/Pastor, Clinton Chapel AME Zion Church and Dr. John Crupper, National Director of Shepherding the Next Generation.

In releasing a report, Strengthening Families Through High-Quality Early Education in Tennessee, the pastors cited research – including an extensive long-term study of the Perry Preschool program in Michigan – showing that quality early learning can help reduce births outside of marriage and increase the likelihood that young men and women will marry and play significant roles in raising their children.

The pastors noted that the study specifically found that girls who attended the pre-k program for at-risk children in Michigan were five times more likely to be married and living with their husbands by age 27 and a third less likely to have babies outside of marriage than girls who did not attend the program.

The same study found that boys not enrolled in the early learning program were found, at age forty, to be 63 percent more likely to have fathered children they did not raise.

The faith leaders said state support for voluntary pre-k is needed to help strengthen families and develop more effective parents.

Grant Standefer, executive director of the Compassion Coalition, noted that in Tennessee, 35 percent of children are currently living in single parent households. "That's one of every three children.  This reality means that single parents, and even grandparents, as well as families with both parents, have the primary responsibility of raising children.  It is most evident that these families need help."

Standefer said that current research reveals that one of the best ways to help strengthen families is to support quality pre-kindergarten programs.  "We are urging our elected leaders to continue funding voluntary pre-k programs in Tennessee and to consider increasing this funding. We believe our state is only as strong as its families, so, together, let's build strong families. As we know from Proverbs 22:6. 'Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it' (NIV)."

"God calls on parents to shepherd the next generation," said Mark Brackney, pastor of Arlington Church of Christ.  "Our report shows that we can make progress in helping children develop into successful adults and become effective parents by supporting quality early education."

"In Knoxville and throughout Tennessee, many at-risk children start school already behind their classmates in early math and reading skills," said Dr. David Trempe, Executive Chaplain of the Royal Chaplain Corps in Knoxville.  "Many of these children have not mastered the social skills they need to follow teachers' directions and establish good friendships in school. These problems can create a pattern of failure that lasts a lifetime.  Providing these children with quality early education can give them the right start in life."  

Dr. John A. Butler, Presiding Elder, Knoxville District and Pastor of the Clinton Chapel AME Zion Church, noted that 18,000 at-risk children receive pre-k through Tennessee's Voluntary Pre-k Program. Tennessee's state-funded pre-kindergarten has gone from serving 3,000 students in 2004 to serving approximately 18,000 during the 2008 – 2009 school year, Butler said.

"However, despite this progress, almost 4,000 children were on waiting lists to enter the program in September 2008 and it could serve thousands more eligible children if funding were available, according to the Tennessee Department of Education," said Dr. Butler.  "Quality early learning offers children a solid foundation to become successful adults and parents."

The press conference follows a recent letter signed by 22 Christian leaders in Tennessee urging the state legislature to support high-quality, voluntary early education in their latest budget deliberations.

Shepherding the Next Generation is a national, non-profit organization of Christian leaders who are committed to the development of strong and healthy American families, whose children are equipped with strong values and skills for success.

SOURCE Shepherding the Next Generation