Long-term research studies have shown that quality early childhood programs help prevent later criminal behavior, particularly for at-risk children; for example, at-risk children who did not receive quality educational child care in Chicago's Child-Parent Centers were 70 percent more likely to commit violent crimes by the age of 18 than similar children who attended the program. There is a clear need for early childhood care for low-income families in Colorado, given that 59 percent of children under age six in Colorado have either both parents or their only parent in the workforce. The average fee at a child care center in Colorado is $6,600 a year for a toddler. Child care services for two children can exceed the annual salary of a full-time, minimum-wage earner. Also, many parents cannot afford to pay for after-school care at a center, since the average cost of care is $5,500 annually in Colorado. Under the CCDBG, States, which are required to provide matching funds, can help low-income families pay for child care and after-school services while parents are employed, attend educational or training programs, or look for work. In Colorado, however, CCDBG funds provide assistance to only one in nine eligible children due to lack of funds. In 2002, Federal CCDBG funds to Colorado were $55.9 million, and the State provided $22.5 million in matching funds. Total funding helped an average of 28,700 children each month. It is not cost-effective for the Federal Government and State governments to underfund early child care and after-school programs. Society pays in many ways for failing to provide quality care and education for its children, including lost economic productivity and tax revenues and higher crime rates. 3 figures and 39 notes