Salina Journal -

Kathy Allen couldn't stop the tears.

That's how important Heartland Programs has been to her and her family, and she wanted a group of Kansas legislators and legislative candidates to hear it.

"When my son Daniel was 2, he didn't speak," Allen said through her tears. "He had infant child development, and now he can't be quiet. He's very smart and has an amazing teacher (Libby Charvat) that he loves."

Allen gave her testimonial to Charles Roth, R-Salina, who is running for re-election in the 71st Kansas House District; David Norlin, Roth's Democratic opponent; Cynthia Nelson, Democratic candidate in the 35th House District; Rebekah Gaston, Democratic candidate in the 69th House District; and Abner Perney, Democratic candidate for the 24th Senate District.

The candidates were invited Wednesday to Heartland Programs, 700 Jupiter, to hear a presentation by Heartland director Korey Hensley and testimonials by Allen and another Salina mother, Berta Lerma.

After the presentation, the guests were given a tour and were invited to eat lunch with preschoolers and their teachers.

Hensley said she wanted the legislative candidates to hear about the difference early childhood development programs can make in families' lives.

"I would like to see early childhood development programs be part of their platforms," Hensley said.

Hensley also wanted to help her guests understand how Kansas taxpayers are funding Heartland Programs, which serves low-income families, at-risk children and children with diagnosed disabilities.

"I'm worried about the economy, like other taxpayers, but research has shown that for every dollar that Kansas spends on early learning, the state saves $7 down the road," Hensley said to her guests.

State lags behind

During the past year, the Kansas Legislature allocated $11 million for early childhood development, she said, but Kansas lags behind other states in providing funding for early education programs.

"It's important that we are accountable, and it is critical that every dollar taxpayers pay is maximized, but the return on the investment is high," Hensley said. "We're talking about children. What child is not worth that opportunity?"

It was an enlightening presentation for Norlin, who said it is crucial for candidates to hear directly from representatives of programs funded by the state.

"Both candidates need to have an understanding of what's at stake," he said.

During her presentation, Hensley described current Heartland programs, which include comprehensive home visits to teach families of children prenatal to age 3 about child development; year-round child care facilities for working families with children 6 weeks to school age; and Heartland Early Education Program, with classrooms at the Salina facility and other centers at Abilene, Enterprise, Herington and Ellsworth.

At the Salina center, 226 children are enrolled in early education preschool classes, Hensley said. Of those, 35 percent have disabilities and 25 percent are from non-English speaking homes.

"We still have children on the waiting list, and the fact they can't have services available to them is just a shame," Hensley said.

Allen also expressed her concern to the candidates.

"As legislators, you have the ability to advocate for my children and other children," she said. "The way you can do this is to make sure these services continue."

It didn't take much to convince Roth. As the husband of a longtime educator, Roth said, he was familiar with the 7-to-1 return of every dollar spent on Heartland programs.

"This really brings home what they have to offer in Salina," he said. "They're taking care of kids without judgment on their circumstances in life."

Nelson, who taught kindergarten through adult classes for 33 years, said she has been a longtime advocate of early childhood education programs.

"It again confirms my belief that the first five years of a child's life is the most important," she said. "We need to keep funding things that really work. Early childhood development is one of those. There's no better gift you can give a child."

Gaston, a Salina attorney, said it would be irresponsible to cut funding for programs such as those offered by Heartland.

"It's so important for children and society in general," she said. "And it does pay back."

Reporter Gary Demuth can be reached at 822-1405 or by e-mail at gdemuth@salina.com.