[RFHF] In the News: Business croup calls on corporations to support early learning

[Katie Anderson]

This morning I read about a potentially exciting new development: The national Committee for Economic Development (CED) is calling on businesses and corporations to invest in child care and early learning!

You can read the blog article<http://thrivebyfivewa.org/2012/07/10/business-group-calls-for-more-spending-on-early-learning-including-by-corporations/> where I learned about this news and the primary document produced by CED, called Unfinished Business: Continued Investment in Child Care and Early Education is Critical to Business and America's Future<http://www.ced.org/images/content/issues/earlyeducation/UnfinishedBusiness_ExecSumLO.pdf>.

I highly recommend you take 5-10 minutes to read the two page primary document<http://www.ced.org/images/content/issues/earlyeducation/UnfinishedBusiness_ExecSum> by the CED. Here are a few quotes from it to tempt you!

  *   Right now 20% of the American labor force is functionally illiterate or innumerate. High-quality child care and early education builds a strong foundation of cognitive and social skills in young children that can improve their engagement in school and increase per capita earnings and economic development.
  *   CED's model of engaging the business community has mobilized corporate leaders to support early learning programs. With tools provided by CED, our Trustees have traveled the country and spoken to business and civic audiences about the importance of investing in children and families.
  *   Research has shown that high-quality early childhood programs--including home visiting and early childhood education--have both immediate and long-term benefits to the larger society, not just the individual child.
  *   Communities that invest in quality early childhood education can realize savings and better quality of life...
  *   ...children in the United States face more challenges to their development than those in many other countries, including higher rates of infant mortality (4th worst in the [international] Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and low birth rate (6th worst), teen births (2nd worst after Mexico), and poverty.
  *   ...What CEOs Can Do... Invest at least 1 percent of corporate earnings in public/private partnerships that support early childhood in your community or state.

What does this mean for Healthy Start/Healthy Families Oregon, your library, and other early childhood professionals? I don't know what it might mean, but keep your eyes, ears, and minds open because you may be able to find new opportunities for partnerships and funding with private businesses and corporations. Most of us are not used to partnering with the private sector. Start thinking about how that might work and what it might look like for your organization.

Enjoy,
Katie


Katie Anderson, Library Development Services
* Youth Services Consultant * Oregon Center for the Book Coordinator *
Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR 97301
katie.anderson at state.or.us<mailto:katie.anderson at state.or.us>, 503-378-2528

Blog article: http://thrivebyfivewa.org/2012/07/10/business-group-calls-for-more-spending-on-early-learning-including-by-corporations/
Primary document: http://www.ced.org/images/content/issues/earlyeducation/UnfinishedBusiness_ExecSumLO.pdf
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