Employers can make a difference. For companies without centers, aligning with existing community-based programs is the answer. They can buy slots or make corporate donations to programs that enhance care quality or increase the availability of slots for employees. Another way for companies to raise awareness and quality is to get involved in training care providers. Companies can partner with area colleges or other training institutions to provide for early-care education.
Concerned citizens can also help.
Washington consultant Bill Turner donates a morning a week to a child-care center for unwed mothers who have gotten their act together and are trying to complete their education. Grandparents Gary and Carla Doner, owners of Bath Crest of Naples, Fla., a refinishing firm, have rearranged their work schedules so they can be there for their grandson while his parents work. All of us could do more to help children. Volunteering to watch a child after school would go a long way toward helping to keep our nation's children off the streets. Listen to the report to find out why.