Whether you’re a parent, doctor, teacher, business owner or employee, the issue of quality child care can – and likely does – matter to you. Parents, pediatricians and educators know how critical the first five years of children’s lives are to their long-term development and livelihood. Businesses and employees know how difficult it can be to retain and support working parents when affordable, quality care is not available.
That is why this week Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) organized a “Week of Action” around the theme, “We All Care about Child Care.” We mobilized our grassroots supporters to urge Congress to increase funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which helps provide high quality child care to low- and middle-income working families.
To amplify the conversation around child care, SCAN partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to host a Twitter Chat on April 17 using the hashtag #LeadingOnEarlyEd. The chat focused on the business case for expanding early education and child care. We had more the 200 contributors! In case you missed it, here are some of the top tweets for each question of the chat.
Q1:. From the kids’ perspective, what #data do you cite when making an argument for #EarlyEd for our #futureworkforce issue? #LeadingOnEarlyEd
A1: Brains are built, not born. Children make 1.2 million neural connections every second. These connections are crucial for the healthy development of a child’s brain. #LeadingonEarlyEdhttps://t.co/YJAT8mwHZ5 pic.twitter.com/IQRuWHUIU3
— USCCF Ed & Workforce (@USCCFeducation) April 17, 2019
80% of a child’s brain is developed by the time they turn 3. That’s why it’s critical for children to have access to #EarlyEd opportunities. https://t.co/2D7eII0CME #LeadingonEarlyEd pic.twitter.com/IFHfpoDvtA
— Save the Children US (@SavetheChildren) April 17, 2019
A1: Access to quality early learning and care affects more than just today’s workforce—it has real impact on the workforce of the future by allowing children to develop the skills they need for success later in life. https://t.co/VWI2Dz9y93 #LeadingOnEarlyEd @USCCFeducation (1/2)
— FirstFiveYearsFund (@firstfiveyears) April 17, 2019
Q2: Now from the parent/caregiver perspective, what #data do you cite when making an argument for #EarlyEd for our current workforce? #LeadingOnEarlyEd
Mothers who were unable to find a child care program were significantly less likely to be employed & said they would seek further career opportunities if they had access to affordable & reliable child care #LeadingonEarlyEd https://t.co/SuJkNOito4
— CAP Early Childhood (@CAPEarlyEd) April 17, 2019
A2: Investment in early childhood programs is critical for parents. A lack of affordable, high-quality child care costs working parents $37B each year, part of the #57Billion our economy loses due to the #ChildCareCrisis: https://t.co/lrk4WwIFH8 #LeadingOnEarlyEd #TwoGen #Data pic.twitter.com/gGb0cGhRfh
— ReadyNation (@Ready_Nation) April 17, 2019
A2: Data is essential but so are the stories of families.
“All the American mothers I interviewed said they felt enormous guilt and tension between their work and family commitments. ” - via a @nytimes #oped #LeadingonEarlyEd https://t.co/FDhBsAEpP5 pic.twitter.com/yhPg6iseZE
— No Small Matter (@NoSmallMatter) April 17, 2019
Q3: Why is investing in high-quality #childcare a win for businesses? #LeadingonEarlyEd
A3: Check out state-by-state #data from @CEDupdate about the positive impact of #childcare on regional and states’ economy. #LeadingOnEarlyEd https://t.co/swlB5b0GqU.
— The Alliance (@4earlysuccess) April 17, 2019
A3: As @USCCFeducation cites in their research, high-quality #childcare is a win for businesses because it can help build the talent pipeline and reduce future investments in education and training. https://t.co/33AeVMPBWr #LeadingOnEarlyEd https://t.co/T2Q0v0iYzV
— Mark Shriver (@Mark_Shriver) April 17, 2019
A3: Providing benefits like #PaidLeave, #ChildCare support, scheduling flexibility, and health insurance leads to a more productive, stable workforce. Supporting #ECE can help businesses retain talent and cut down costs of hiring and training new employees. #LeadingOnEarlyEd
— Aspen Ascend (@AspenAscend) April 17, 2019
Q4: Many businesses understand the argument for #EarlyEd, but don’t know where to start. What advice would you give them on the best ways to engage? #LeadingonEarlyEd
A4: A great way to get started is by encouraging legislators to support initiatives that benefit families like #CCDBG and Child Care for Working Families! https://t.co/rWMrPrtJaL #LeadingOnEarlyEd
— Child Care WORKS (@ChildCareWorks) April 17, 2019
Engage with your #Workforce to truly understand their needs and provide them with the #EarlyEd support that will help them in the best way. #LeadingonEarlyEd https://t.co/X0wZNMqPus
— KinderCare Government Relations (@KinderCareGR) April 17, 2019
A4: First, assess how your organization can address your community’s needs. Then, research local & nat’l organizations for key learnings. Then, network with leaders & representatives to get conversations going! #Care4ChildCare #LeadingonEarlyEd https://t.co/R0CAt0dQhM
— Primrose Schools (@PrimroseSchools) April 17, 2019
Q5: Let’s give a shout out to those in the business community who are already investing in #earlyed. Tag them and tell us what they’re doing to make a difference in your community! #LeadingonEarlyEd
We care about #childcare because it allows parents and families to succeed in their own lives, setting up better possibilities for their starry-eyed little ones. https://t.co/vYqaH8N9OH #LeadingOnEarlyEd @SCActionNetwork #earlyed #ece pic.twitter.com/U0GH1hjHVS
— New America Ed (@NewAmericaEd) April 17, 2019
A5: We thank all of our 2,300+ @Ready_Nation members across the country who have helped make the business case for #ECE / #ChildCare, including @HughCWelsh, @ChiefExecBear, @artrolnick44, @RHDugger, @ankg, @GCHalvorson, and many others. #LeadingOnEarlyEd https://t.co/sWrKIWjHcI https://t.co/m3dqqtVRHo
— ReadyNation (@Ready_Nation) April 17, 2019
The week of action isn’t over! Click the link below to learn how you can use your voice and advocate for quality child care and the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG).
Take action today!
Looking for more? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation provided a recap of the Twitter Chat from their perspective. Read it on their blog.