Why the Early Childhood Industry?
Our goal is to help our entire community gain a better understanding of the critical issues, impact on families, our economy and the future workforce which will be needed in our region and beyond.
SECTIONS
HRSSA will continue to provide new resources under each category on this page to help guide you, whether you are the director of a child care center, a parent, or an advocate of making significant changes in the way we prepare children for school during the critical early years. Please come back frequently to see additional resources.
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Let’s grow together to build the business case for early childhood education and shared services!
Workforce of Today
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Childcare is a Business Issue - Harvard Business Review
https://hbr.org/2021/04/childcare-is-a-business-issue
Why Child Care Solutions Will Fill the Workforce Gap
https://uc3.care/fill-the-workforce-gap/
How Unreliable and Costly Childcare Keeps People off the Job
Why Should Employers Care?
https://childcarecouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Why-Should-Employers-Care-ECLC.pdf
Stressed-Out Parents Cost Companies $300 Billion in Lost Productivity
https://www.inc.com/news/articles/200612/parents.html
Want the Economy to Grow? Fix the childcare crisis.
https://strongnation.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/602/83bb2275-ce07-4d74-bcee-ff6178daf6bd.pdf
As America Recovers from the Pandemic, Data Shows Child Care Remains a Major Challenge for Working Parents
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The First Five Years Fund: Economic Impact
https://www.ffyf.org/why-it-matters/economic-impact/
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Workforce of Tomorrow
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​Ready Nation
A national-level association of business leaders and others specifically concerned with early childhood and is a source for news and business perspectives on the issue.
A national alliance of companies with a particular focus on lowering high school dropout rates. Ready Nation is also a partner, in recognition of the link between effective early education and high school completion.
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​High-Quality Early Childhood Education - the Bedrock of American Business
The U.S. Chamber of Congress Foundation makes its case that world-class workforce begins with a world-class education system.
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Strong Nation: High-Quality Early Childhood Education
This lack of access and quality is detrimental to parents’ work productivity and puts our future workforce at risk. This fact sheet describes how a skilled, productive workforce is essential for a strong Mississippi economy. The same is true in Virginia, and it identifies the role of businesses.
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The Dual Return on Investing in Quality Early Childcare Programs
Research by Nobel Laureate economist James Heckman shows the value of investing in high-quality early care and learning for disadvantaged children. He finds that every dollar spent on birth-to-five programs can deliver a 13% per annum return on investment from better education and health outcomes for children, employment gains for parents, greater economic productivity and reduced spending on healthcare and crime.
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Building the Pipeline for Virginia's Workforce of Tomorrow
Council for a Strong Nation explains that investing in pre-K to 12 education will help make young Virginians workforce-ready, crime-free, and military-eligible.
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Learn more about the Heckman Equation and how Professor Heckman and colleagues have found a 13% ROI for comprehensive, high-quality, birth-to-five early education. This research analyzes a wide range of life outcomes such as health, crime, income, IQ, and schooling. You can download the toolbox.
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Industry in Crisis
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Market-based Pricing Doesn’t Work
Child care providers struggle to provide services in low-income neighborhoods. Learn more with this infographic.
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​The Importance of Childcare to U.S. Families and Businesses
The US Chamber of Commerce has taken early childhood under its wings during the pandemic and lots of great information.
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Supporting Shared Services
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Wisconsin Employers Supporting Local Child Care To Attract, Retain Workers
How businesses in one area are partnering with child care organizations through shared services as a creative solution to care shortage
Investing in Early Childhood Development Reduces Deficits and Strengthens the Economy
Professor Heckman (of the renowned "Heckman Equation") argues that the best way to reduce deficits is to invest in quality early childhood development for disadvantaged children. It creates better education, health, social and economic outcomes that increase revenue and reduce the need for costly social spending.
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The Economics of Early Childhood Education
The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, which has helped fund HRSSA as a local shared services solution, explains the economic importance of early childhood education.