Building a strong early learning and care (ELC) infrastructure is essential to supporting families, fostering economic growth, and shaping the future of our communities. These roadmaps offer tailored strategies for a variety of stakeholders to collaboratively address the challenges and opportunities in ELC. By exploring the unique needs and solutions offered here, you can find actionable ideas for creating an ELC system that strengthens your local workforce and support families in your community. Pulse at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research and its partners are providing these roadmaps to help guide employers, municipal leaders, and others through their options when supporting working families with childcare needs.
The Employer Roadmap is designed to guide businesses and organizations in supporting working families by expanding access to affordable, dependable, and high-quality child care. As workforce challenges and productivity pressures continue to grow, employers can leverage this resource to explore innovative strategies for integrating child care solutions into employee benefits. From offering financial assistance to supporting on-site or near-site child care options, the roadmap provides tools, case studies, and best practices that enhance employee retention and job satisfaction.
Municipal leaders play a critical role in creating a community infrastructure that supports working families by investing and partnering in early learning and child care services. Access to affordable, high-quality child care is not only essential for families but also drives economic stability and growth, ensuring thriving communities where families want to work, play and live. The challenges in the early care landscape, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, have left many communities struggling to meet demand.
Roadmaps for funders, advocates/policymakers, child care business owners, and developers (including workforce, community, and economic development) are currently in development.
