Just the Foundation Kids Need

In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan glibly concluded that poverty had won, and few challenged the cynical assertion. But there were victories in the war on poverty--noteworthy achievements by Great Society programs that Johnson supported. A recent Times feature story on the Mexican American Opportunities Foundation is a useful reminder of that fact.

The foundation operates eight day-care centers for Spanish-speaking children in Southern California. Recently, two centers in the East Los Angeles barrio broke new ground by incorporating computers into preschool classes. Latino youngsters use them to learn reading, writing and even Mexican history. The computers were donated by private corporations that are trying to make up for dwindling federal support of self-help programs.

At a time when two of the most serious problems facing this region--youth gangs and school dropouts--affect so many youngsters who seem to be going wrong, it is refreshing to hear of a successful effort to steer them in the right direction. What may have surprised many readers is that MAOF has been doing this kind of good work since the War on Poverty days. Its first day-care center opened in 1973 with just 17 children; now it serves about 1,500. Imagine how much more good the foundation and organizations like it could do with even more financial support, not just from the private sector but from government, too.