Opportunities for Business Engagement
Ten things you can do to advance access to high-quality childcare.
1. Join Forces Join or build an early childhood business coalition to educate and engage peers and the public. Business leaders make powerful public messengers for support of public investment in effective early care and learning programs.
2. Set the Policy Agenda Leverage your influence to serve as a public policy advocate for young children. Include childcare in your local business organization’s legislative agenda. Sign onto or create a policy statement in support of high-quality childcare.
3. Make the Business Case Promote early learning policies as part of the economic development agenda. Help business colleagues and policymakers understand the economic benefits that highquality childcare brings to states and local communities.
4. Speak Out for Children Share your knowledge through speaking engagements, op-eds, and blogs that highlight the impact of high-quality childcare on children, families, local businesses, and regional economic development. Launch a media campaign with local partners to focus public attention on the critical role childcare plays in improved school achievement and a stronger regional economy.
5. Contribute Through Philanthropy Invest your philanthropic dollars in organizations and providers that support early care and learning programs for low-income children. Target corporate social responsibility funds to programs and initiatives that support high-quality childcare, like scholarship programs that help ensure low-income children have access to high-quality programs. Donate materials like books and art supplies to under-resourced local childcare providers.
6. Lead by Example Adopt policies that support your employees who have young children. Implement a childcare benefits program and consider establishing an on-site childcare center. Employees who know that their children are in safe, reliable, and high-quality environments are more engaged, productive workers.
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