In case you missed it: Employer Supported Child Care Roundtable

Scroll down to watch the recording of the Employer Supported Child Care Roundtable, covering topics ranging from the benefits of operating employer supported child care, calculating return on investment, concerns and challenges in implementation, and surprise benefits.

The Santa Rosa Metro Chamber has long understood the value of family friendly workplace policies and investment in early childhood education, but we became actively involved in the effort to increase access to child care after the Tubbs Fire in October 2017 when our child care crisis was magnified by the loss of child care slots overnight.

There’s a clear business case for investing in early childhood education and care. Parents rely on childcare to help them enter, re-enter or remain in the workforce, and before COVID-19 and related school closures, half of the workforce already missed 8 days of work per year due to child care issues. Studies from economists cite anywhere from a 7 dollar return to a 26 dollar return for every dollar invested in early childhood education. Investing in child care brings a higher return than the stock market. The best way for employers to ensure the success of the community in which they do business is to be a part of the community effort to increase access to child care.