Metro Chamber awarded $25k grant for employer supported child care efforts
The Metro Chamber is happy to announce that we have been awarded a $25,000 grant from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation for our work to increase access to quality early education and care. The Metro Chamber and the U.S. Chamber Foundation share the same goal of increasing the supply of child care by helping employers understand the immediate and future benefits of investing in early education.
We are so grateful for the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s partnership in this work, and for their leadership and work on this issue as a means to strengthen America’s long-term competitiveness. With the challenges of COVID-19 to the child care industry, addressing this crisis level workforce issue is more important than ever before. One of the most beneficial ways to ensure the current and future success of our local businesses, the economy, and Sonoma County’s working families is to support the workforce of today while developing the workforce of tomorrow by ensuring access to early education and care.
The Metro Chamber is available to meet with employers to discuss employer supported child care options and opportunities, providing support throughout the process of creating on-site, near-site, consortium-based, or temporary/emergency child care. We can connect employers to resources, create ROI comparisons and budgets for models that match interest and needs, provide or administer need assessment surveys, and serve as a convener and advocate throughout the process.
In addition to child care resources, we offer tools and support around family friendly workplace policies including crafting and communicating family friendly policies, resources for remote work, flexible work schedules, lactation support, and babies at work policies. For more information on these tools and support, contact Rosa Zuniga at rosaz@santarosametrochamber.com.