Most reasonable people would agree that funding prevention and intervention programs for kids at risk is a good idea. Ironically, as the economy slows, states begin the process of slashing programs deemed not necessary to balance budgets or at least slow the hemorrhaging.
This Fox News article pretty much sums up what we can probably expect in the future.
Hopefully people will not repeat the mistakes of the past. Penny-wise, pound foolish in this respect that trying to curb costs now will cost us exponentially later when the services of at risk kids are not met.
Take a minute and go to the Fight Crime: Invest in Kids website and review the correlation between high school dropout rates and jail incarceration. Also review how the pre-K investment pays future dividends.