Mobile Police Chief Shares Father's Day Reflection

As a 28-year law enforcement professional with three children, I have personally experienced the impact of quality child care on my family. After the birth of my twins, quality child care created the safe, productive learning environment for my children that afforded my wife and me the peace of mind we needed to pursue our own career development. That child care provided crucial academic and developmental growth, helping to shape the direction of our children’s lives at that important early point in their development.

However, I understand some people do not have the same experience for their children, and the consequences can be damaging to the children and ultimately the safety of our communities. As a law enforcement executive and the husband of an educator, it is clear to me that access to high-quality early childhood education has significant impacts on children’s path later in life. High-quality child care is crucial to children’s early years of development, nurturing them while also teaching them the communication and problem-solving skills that will help put them on the path to productive, successful lives.

If we don’t make sure that our young people are in environments that allow them to grow and thrive, we are playing catch-up from that point forward. Investing in high-quality child care and developmental opportunities during those crucial early years can help avoid arrests and incarceration over the long term in our communities. For the long-term success and safety of our communities, investing in our children early is essential, and making sure they are able to access high-quality child care is an investment that is good for children and good for our communities.