Whether it s a partnership in Rochester supporting middle-income families through their community fund, or a team in Minnesota using higher education finance as model for child care, across the country communities are designing new strategies for financing early education. Business and government partnerships improve the effectiveness of public subsidies. Public subsidies, underutilized and limited to only the poorest families, are not sufficient to bridge the gap between needs and resources. However, if private investment in child care are combined with public subsidies the needs of all families can be better served. Businesses which support child care report increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and improved employee morale and loyalty.
Child care pays dividends.
From substantial tax breaks to lower turnover rates, returns from child care are far-reaching. New ideas and models from the private sector strengthen child care as an economic sector. Initiated by concerned business leaders and supported by a foundation grant, Educare Colorado illustrates how the business community can turn the child care sector into a more professional, sustainable, and cost-effective industry. Tompkins County has the resources to enhance the quantity and quality of early education as well as reap the benefits of a dependable workforce, new jobs, and healthy kids. Join the Day Care and Child Development Council and the Chamber of Commerce to create an Early Education Partnership and share ideas on how Tompkins County can effectively meet our early education needs.