MEDIA CONFERENCE Q&A - Business makes economic case for early childhood
investment: Pay now, or pay more later

VANCOUVER, Sept. 10 /CNW/ - Report released: Kids 'N Crime: Economic Aspects of the Development and Prevention of Criminality among Children and Youth, September 2010 (sequel to Kids 'N Crime Report, October 2006)

    
    Spokespeople: Introductions, report findings, recommendations & Q&A

    -   Report author David Park, Research Associate, Justice Institute of
        British Columbia and Economist Emeritus, The Vancouver Board of Trade
    -   Jack McGee, President, Justice Institute of British Columbia
    -   Jason McLean, Chairman, The Vancouver Board of Trade

    Time:  10 a.m.

    Date:  Monday, September 13, 2010

    Place: Oceanview Suite 6, Pan Pacific Hotel, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver

    Also attending (confirmed):
        Warren Lemcke, Deputy Chief Constable, Vancouver Police Department;
        Janet Austin, CEO, YWCA Vancouver and Director, The Vancouver Board
        of Trade; Mary Collins, Director, BC Healthy Living Alliance; Dr.
        Paul Kershaw, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, University of British
        Columbia, College of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Human Early
        Learning Partnership (HELP); Max Chalmers Senior Manager, Security
        and Life Safety, Vancouver Properties, Cadillac Fairview Corporation;
        Shirley Chan, CEO, Building Opportunities with Business; Barbara
        Hislop Executive Director, Variety, The Children's Charity and
        Director, The Vancouver Board of Trade; Kate Hodgson, Executive
        Director, Network of Inner City Community Services; Craig Jones,
        Executive Director, Richmond Chamber of Commerce; Laura Jones, Vice
        President, Western Canada, Canadian Federation of Independent
        Businesses; Judy McGuire, Community Safety Strategies, DBA Frontline;
        Dr. Michel Tarko, Justice Institute of BC; Dick Vollet, President and
        CEO, Streetohome Foundation.
    

The media are invited to hear and question an expert panel making the business case for investing in early childhood development, saving governments and society millions of dollars. A landmark research report, Kids 'N Crime: Economic Aspects of the Development and Prevention of Criminality among Children and Youth, September 2010 will be released by The Vancouver Board of Trade and Justice Institute of British Columbia at the conference, Sept. 13, 2010 at 10 a.m.

The report makes the case: Pay now, or pay more later. It finds dollars invested in a pre-school child result in a much bigger return down the road than dollars put in at a later stage. "A dollar invested in early childhood yields three times as much as for school-aged children, and eight times as much for adult education," the report reveals, quoting research by Nobel prize-winning economist James Heckman (Catch 'em Young, Wall Street Journal, Jan. 10, 2006).

Continued investment, especially in programs directed to youth at risk, also has substantial positive economic impact. Key research in the report shows efforts to divert a youth from a life of crime at any age has a value well in excess of $2 million.

Jason McLean, new chairman, The Vancouver Board of Trade, has already pledged early childhood development will be one of his main areas of focus during his year's term, backed by Vancouver's business community.

"The Board will be sharing these findings with a broad audience in order to influence decision-makers. I believe the business community has a great deal to contribute here," he said.

    
    -   The full report, more economic facts and graphic, Returns to a Unit
        Dollar Invested, will be available at the media conference.
    

Kids 'N Crime: Economic Aspects of the Development and Prevention of Criminality among Children and Youth (September 2010) has been prepared in cooperation with the Justice Institute of British Columbia, the Justice Institute of British Columbia Foundation, and The Vancouver Board of Trade Foundation. The Vancouver Board of Trade represents 5,600 members.

The report builds on the original Kids 'N Crime Report released in October, 2006 by The Vancouver Board of Trade with the support of the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.

For further information: Terry Hadley, The Vancouver Board of Trade, 604-640-5471, (cell: 604-644-4793) or [email protected]