National Business Trends

thread follows national business trends that support early childhood education. Take a look at what businesses and organizations around the country are doing to increase access to high-quality early childhood education.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is promoting efforts to improve and expand access to quality early education programs. The tool-kit Leading the Way: A Guide for Business Engagement in Early Education provides resources for the business community and highlights case studies in early education progress around the country. 

Businesses across the country agree: character skills—like resiliency, communication, empathy—are as or more important than technical skills. These skills are formed in the earliest years. Bruce Lamoureux, Senior VP/CEO of Providence Health & Services Alaska, explains “After decades in this field, I know these qualities can’t be easily “taught” on the job. They’re developed and strengthened in the very earliest years of a child’s life.” Social-Emotional Skills in Early Childhood Support Workforce Success highlights the importance of emotional intelligence for a future workforce.

In Utah, Goldman Sachs partnered with Granite School District, United Way, and Salt Lake County to provide high-quality preschool to hundreds of children. Out of the 700-child cohort, 110 tested as likely to need special education in kindergarten and first grade. However, after attending preschool for one year, only one of those students needed special education services, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars for the state. Learn more

In King County, Washington, voters approved Best Starts for Kids, an initiative to improve health and well-being by investing in prevention and early intervention for children and their families. The levy will generate about $65 million per year and cost the average King County property owner an estimated $56 per year, which is about a dollar a week. Learn more

The Committee for Economic Development in 2012 released the report “Unfinished Business: Continued Investment in Child Care and Early Education is Critical to Business and America’s Future.” The report encourages CEOs and prominent business leaders to assume a more active role in advocating for early childhood education programs.