Chamber Support for Prenatal-to-Three Efforts
An investment in infants, toddlers and their families is an investment in the entire community. Supporting children in their earliest years can ensure bright futures, not just for them, but for communities, the workforce and the economy. Chambers of commerce are working in this area to ensure a robust future for your city, region and state.
ACCE Foundation resources can help you kickstart your chamber's efforts.
Providing Technical Assistance for Employer-Supported Child Care
The Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce (Calif.) has been committed to supporting family-friendly workplace policies and investments in early childhood education for many years. The chamber has also seen firsthand how lack of access to quality, affordable child care impacts the economic growth of the region. In 2017, as a result of the California wildfires, Sonoma County lost 15 licensed child care programs, displacing 444 child care spots overnight. Read More
Virginia Chamber Integrates Early Childhood Education into State Strategic Plan
In 2021, the Virginia Chamber worked with a diverse array of stakeholders to ensure statewide representation its strategic plan to improve the state’s economic climate - Blueprint Virginia 2030. This action plan outlines 11 industry-focused areas to position the state as a leader in the global economy with the goal of being the best state in the nation for business. Read More
Diffusing Child Care Costs in Michigan
Chambers of commerce are uniquely positioned to build and support cross-sector coalitions that create lasting change. In 2019, the Grand Rapids Chamber (Mich.) convened a coalition of businesses, key state leaders, legislators, researchers and children advocacy groups to tackle child care accessibility, affordability and quality. It was out of these convenings that the MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program (Tri-Share) was formed. Read More
Missoula Area Chamber Creates Innovative Models for Child Care Access
In spring of 2018, the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce (Mont.) identified lack of access to early learning and child care as a critical workforce issue. This led to the creation of the chamber’s Childcare Initiative. The initiative began by gathering information from local child care providers and employers to better understand the barriers to accessing child care. It was estimated that as many as 1,000 children in the Missoula metro area were on waitlists. Read More
Addressing Child Care Shortages in Florida
When the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce (Fla.) convened twelve of the county’s largest employers last July, child care was a major pain point for everyone. Since March 2020, 15 child care centers, which equates to 712 child care slots, closed in Collier County. In neighboring Lee County, 22 child care centers have closed in that same time frame. Read More
The Business Case for On-site Early Learning
Scott Nykaza is the CEO of Kalsec, a food and beverage ingredient company in Kalamazoo Michigan. Kalsec is a privately owned, business-to-business company with about 500 employees. Kalsec has a goal of remaining private and sustainable for 100 years. Read More
Child Care Advocacy in Louisiana
In 2012, the Early Childhood Education Act (Act 3) was passed to ensure that Louisiana children have a strong foundation for success. The statute catalyzed major education reforms in the state, including the creation of a statewide, integrated early-childhood care and education network. This group established uniform standards and coordinated efforts throughout the state. This effort connected early childhood education to the cradle-to-career pipeline. Read More
The Business Case for Child Care in South Carolina
Jack McBride is the CEO for Contec, a manufacturing company in South Carolina that creates contamination control products. Contec is a big believer in zero-to-three supports. As a business owner, McBride recognizes that child care is both a short-and long-term solution. In the short-term, lack of access to reliable child care affects parents’ ability to show up to work. Read More
From Our Partners
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Thank you to the Pritzker Children's Initiative for supporting the ACCE Foundation. |
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