Here’s Why You Should Care About Early Childhood Education
The Clark-Fox Policy Institute and United 4 Children, hosted its second webinar in the Foundation to Thrive Webinar Series, Are You a Business Leader? Here’s Why You Should Care about Early Childhood Education.
Access to quality early childhood education is critical to the lifelong well-being of children. Businesses can play a major role in ensuring that their employees have access to affordable, sustainable and quality early childhood education.
Moderated by Deanna Finch, United 4 Children’s executive director, the panel unpacked the barriers families face in finding and maintaining quality childcare placement and provided solutions on how businesses can support their employees who are parents and caregivers of children.
Robin Phillips, CEO of Child Care Aware of Missouri, provided data on the lack of affordable and accessible child care and how it negatively impacts the workforce. She referenced the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation report that found that 57% of parents voluntarily quit their jobs when their child is between the ages of zero and two years old due to the insurmountable costs of infant and toddler care. New parents also have a challenging time finding childcare due to the long waiting lists of families who are trying enroll their children in early childhood centers.
Laura Wieseman, program director at Nestle Purina Child Development Center, discussed how successful Nestle Purina’s onsite childcare model has been for the business as well as for the families who utilize the center. Not all businesses are able to provide onsite childcare to their employees. However, some employers could sponsor childcare for its employees through stipends.
In closing, Finch advocated for innovative changes that need to happen within the workplace to support working families. She shared, “We have to get creative about the workforces we are creating.” Employees can experience stress regarding work-life balance, and the stress impacts their children. A holistic approach is needed so that our children, families and workforces are able to thrive.
United 4 Children and the Clark-Fox Policy Institute invite you to learn more about the early childhood education landscape and the impact of high-quality early childhood education. The 2022 Foundation to Thrive Webinar Series explores the barriers to a child’s ability thrive, and how early childhood education plays a key role in building a promising future for our kids.
Catch the replay here.
For the full list of upcoming webinars and to register, click here!