Early Childhood Education

October 11, 2019

Finding a Childcare Provider, Child Care Aware of America

Finding the right childcare provider for your family is a personal choice, and not one that can be outsourced very easily. Child Care Aware® of America Executive Director Lynette Fraga, PhD, spoke with Scott MacFarlane of NBC Washington about some specific questions parents can ask, ways to assess your unique family needs, and how to understand and develop an ongoing relationship with your childcare provider.

Women

Market Failure: Our Childcare System is Broken

September 24, 2019

In this country, the early childhood education system is in market failure. In recent years we have seen the greatest federal funding increases for early childhood education in history, and yet those significant investments just barely make a dent to tackle the need. In 2018, NASEM studied “how to fund early care and education for children…that is accessible, affordable to families, and of high quality, including a well-qualified and adequately supported workforce.” The report concluded that a financial windfall of around $54 billion would be required.

The Mounting Costs of Childcare in Washington State

September 19, 2019

Mounting Costs of Childcare in Washington State

To better understand the impact of childcare issues for working parents and the Washington state economy, the Washington State Child Care Collaborative Task Force and partners commissioned a 2019 survey of Washington parents by Elway Research and an economic impact analysis by Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis.

Economic Growth

K-12 Education

Report Shows Economic Impact of a Lack of Affordable Childcare in Washington State

Jason Hagey, vice president of communications, AWB

September 19, 2019

The lack of access to affordable, high-quality childcare isn’t just a problem for families. A new report found that it’s costing Washington businesses more than $2 billion per year in employee turnover or missed work, and the total cost to the state economy tops more than $6.5 billion per year.

K-12 Education

Early Childhood Education Oregon Roadshow

The U.S. Chamber Foundation Center for Education and Workforce senior manager of policy and programs Julia Barfield will keynote a roadshow of events with Oregon chambers of commerce highlighting the positive economic impacts of investment in early childhood education, as well as the unique challenges facing the business community in Oregon. This roadshow will preview U.S. Chamber Foundation reports scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2020 that will outline the economic impacts of childcare breakdowns on families, communities, and businesses for Oregon and three other U.S. states.

The Win-Win Solution for Early Education Infrastructure Challenges

September 5, 2019

Twitter Chat: Is Early Ed an Infrastructure Conversation?

On Tuesday, August 27, the Chamber Foundation partnered with Linda Smith of the BPC to host a Twitter chat discussing infrastructure challenges for early childhood education facilities. In a span of 45 minutes, the participants of this chat were able to provide more than one million Twitter accounts with data, research, and case studies arguing for early childhood education to gain a seat at the table where infrastructure conversations are happening.

Early Childhood Education Strategy Session

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is hosting a roundtable strategy session to discuss business investments in early childhood education. Business leaders and early childhood education advocates from five state coalitions, including California, and national partners who represent 29 communities across the county. Our hope is that early education advocates and business leaders can learn from one another and share common challenges and successes.

We Must Start Earlier: The Critical Importance of 0-3

Myra Jones-Taylor, Chief Policy Officer, ZERO TO THREE

May 30, 2019

Most people agree that the foundation for later learning and skill-building is shaped by children’s earliest childhood experiences. But do we all agree on what “early” means? Our brains grow faster between the ages of 0 and 3 than at any later point in our lives, forming more than one million new neural connections every second. When babies have nurturing relationships, early learning experiences, and good health and nutrition, these neural connections are stimulated and strengthened, laying a strong foundation for success in school and the workforce.

Economic Growth

Leading by Example: Case Studies

These case studies represent employers, chambers of commerce, and other organizations within the business community engaging in early childhood education in a way that meets their needs and supports their workforce. The matrix below demonstrates that there is no one way to solve our childcare challenges. The best solution for any community is one that takes the needs of the working parents and the context in which the business operates into consideration.

Read more about Leading by Example: Case Studies

Joining Forces to Mobilize Business on Early Childhood Education

April 25, 2019

Early Childhood Education as a Workforce Issue, TwitterChat Recap

On Wednesday, April 17, the U.S. Chamber Foundation co-hosted a Twitter chat with Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) to engage a broad audience in a conversation about early childhood education as a critical workforce issue. The goal of the chat was to engage individuals, advocates, and employers across the country in a focused discussion where we could all collectively share the data, stories, and research behind this two-generation challenge. We were thrilled with the turnout.