Tag Archives: Business

Business Leader Actions to Support Early Childhood: A Global Imperative; A Local Opportunity

Posted on by

4/2015

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Business leaders from every country have similar concerns – hiring skilled employees, finding customers who can afford their goods and services, and operating in an environment that spurs innovation and economic vitality. Overwhelming, rigorous evidence shows that the root of all of these factors lies in children who have the good start that will prepare them for success in school and in life. For that reason, business executives across the globe—from multi-national CEOs to shop owners in small towns—are starting to take action to create the conditions that will help young children thrive, fulfill their potential and become productive adults.

Companies are acting on their own initiative, because they see the benefit to their community and nation, and their bottom line. This paper describes four types of actions companies can take, along with examples from many countries—actions to

  • Benefit their communities,
  • Support employees,
  • Educate key decision makers, and
  • Influence public policies.

To help companies decide among these many options, the paper ends with advice on choosing a course of action and designing a successful initiative.

ReadyNation is a business membership organization whose 1,100 members, including current and former Fortune 500 CEOs, advocate for public and private investments in children and youth that improve the economy and workforce. Since 2006, ReadyNation has been supporting executives to take actions that start in the earliest years of life to create a strong citizenry able to tackle the world’s challenges.

Source: ReadyNation

Available at: http://www.readynation.org/wp-content/uploads/ReadyNation-Business-Actions-on-Early-Childhood1.pdf

Pre-K Momentum from Business Leaders and Red States | NewAmerica.net

Posted on by

5/30/2013

The idea of expanding access to preschool and early learning programs received a big push this week. More than 300 companies and business leaders signed a letter to President Obama and members of Congress, asking them to put more focus on early childhood policy to ensure a “well-prepared workforce.”

“We see other countries investing in their young children both for the long-term benefits of a stronger workforce and the current benefits that come from enhancing the productivity of parents,” the letter says. “To compete, we have to do the same.”

The letter calls on policy makers to:

  • Prioritize programs with proven benefits for children and society, such as quality early education for children ages birth to five, home visiting and health care
  • Address children in the entire prenatal to age five spectrum, and their parents
  • Focus first on children from low- to moderate-income families and other children at risk for school failure
  • Give parents high quality options, using a variety of partners and settings that includes the private sector
  • Encourage federal and state programs to meet higher quality standards, while also allowing state flexibility to deliver services in a variety of ways
  • Include rigorous evaluations that document if resources are achieving improved outcomes for children and promote continuous improvement

Source: Early Ed Watch, The New America Foundation

Available at: http://earlyed.newamerica.net/blogposts/2013/pre_k_momentum_from_business_leaders-84961