One Way to Break the Cycle of Generational Poverty

The CEO of the Dallas-Fort Worth area company D&M Leasing, Micheal (Mike) Albert Hernandez III is a native of Brownsville, Texas. A philanthropist who focuses his philanthropic energy on anti-poverty initiatives, Mike Hernandez III founded the OP 10.33 organization to help lift Cameron County, one of Texas’ poorest counties, out of a cycle of generational poverty. 

One of the proven ways to break the cycle of generational poverty is to provide increased access to preschool education and related services. Universal preschool advocates have estimated that each dollar spent on early childhood intervention saves communities eight dollars in the future on costs such as entitlements, education, and spending on Medicaid and other social services.

In addition, participation in high-quality early childhood education programs has been associated with reduced risk for criminal activity and greater educational achievement, particularly for children from homes that struggle with poverty and food insecurity. High-quality preschool also increases future wages and college attendance rates. Given the benefits, it seems a clear necessity to fund greater access to high-quality preschool to reduce the effects of generational poverty.