Successful employer coalitions have employers taking a leadership role and ownership for the success of the coalition. A local government agency started one employer coalition and was less successful than the others because employers saw it as a public-sector initiative. The coalition was more successful when a non-profit organization began administering the funds. Government can act as a catalyst, but private-sector employers must take ownership. The Texas Work and Family Clearinghouse funded three established employer coalitions to serve as mentors for the new coalitions and to build a network among the coalitions.
Networks are effective when the participants trust each other and value each other's advice.
This information was developed as part of the Child Care Partnership Project, a multi-year technical assistance effort funded by the Child Care Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Partnership Project is providing a series of technical assistance resources and materials to support the development and strengthening of public-private partnerships to improve the quality and supply of child care.