Based on some practical assumptions, we have estimated the potential savings to society when social services are applied to meet critical needs. While we recognize the hypothetical nature of these findings, the underlying principal of working today to ensure a better tomorrow becomes obvious when looking at these extrapolated figures. We call this “The Double Bottom Line” and we welcome comments on this exercise.

PROBLEM ONE:
Lack of Affordable Child Care in Los Angeles

Investment in child care is an investment in the future of our city and our society. When quality early childhood education, health screenings, good nutrition, safety, and enrichment programs are a part of a preschooler’s day-to-day environment, studies have shown that they are more likely to experience higher lifetime earnings, avoid involvement in criminal activity, have less need of welfare assistance, and experience greater commitment to marriage. According to a study conducted by the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, which followed the same control group for more than 20 years, the overall benefit-cost ratio is 716% of the program investment returned to the public over the lifetime of the participants.

PROBLEM TWO:
Los Angeles Children Performing Poorly in School

Independent evaluations prove that Century/LIFT® students do better in school as a result of the after-school tutoring program. A 2004 study by the UCLA/Rand Center for Adolescent Health Promotion showed that returning Century/LIFT students scored 7.75 points higher on English standardized tests and 31.75 points higher on math when compared to the average scores from their schools. In addition, 40 Teen Center students participated in the Ivy West Test Prep series (S.A.T. preparation) in 2005, increasing their overall reading comprehension score by 11% and their mathematics score by 19%. Century/LIFT expects to serve 5,000 children over the next ten years. For the sake of our illustrations here, we are basing our calculations below on these 5,000 children.

PROBLEM THREE:
More Than 16,000 Homeless Veterans on the Streets of Los Angeles

Veterans suffering from medical problems, substance abuse problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other debilitating conditions represent a substantial cost to society. There is also a direct correlation between the number of days spent in inpatient care and the difficulty veterans have in paying rent on their housing, increasing the risk of homelessness. Transitional housing, coupled with social services such as sobriety group therapy and job placement assistance, has been proven to reduce the need for inpatient care.

PROBLEM FOUR:
Low Wages Put Even Basic Housing Out of Reach for Many

Los Angeles is the nation’s poverty capital. Equipping residents with skills they can use to earn a living wage is part of Century’s contribution to alleviating this problem. Of the Century Community Training Program (CCTP) trainees who have graduated to date, the vast majority of trainees were unemployed (68%). Many were on welfare assistance (28%). Nearly half were high school dropouts (46%). More than half were ex-offenders (55%). Before CCTP, the earning prospects for this group were bleak at best.