Child Care Matters

A child’s early years are a critical period in a young person’s development. The foundation that is built through a child’s participation in quality early childhood education sets them on a path to positive economic and social impacts lasting well into adulthood, from higher educational attainment and less chance of involvement in criminal activity, to higher status employment and higher earnings¹. Early care and education benefits the children and families who participate and yields long lasting benefits for society as a whole. Nobel laureate in economics, James Heckman, found that the long-term, economic return on investment in high-quality early care and education programs can yield up to a 13% return (Heckman 2016).

It’s our business and passion to care for the well-being of children and, for us, that means caring for the well-being of parents too. We ensure working parents are able to invest in their families by allowing them to work or go to school, while giving them the peace-of-mind of knowing their children are in a safe, healthy and enriching environment. We pick up kids from school when parents can’t. When parents are running late to pick up their kids, our care continues. When there’s a family emergency, we’re there. A survey found that parents prefer in-home family child care because they know and trust their provider, trust their sanitation and cleanliness practices, and report better communication with providers². We’re flexible, accessible, and adaptable to the needs of parents and our communities.

From the ages of 0-5, child care providers can tell a lot about the emotional and mental development of a child. Being able to provide more focused, individualized attention, we develop strong bonds with children in our care that allow us to track their progression and recognize issues they may face with learning. Early diagnosis of a disability means parents receive the resources to support the healthy development of their child when it matters most—in their child’s early years. Early support improves a child’s ability to reach their academic potential, but also prevents the development of low self-esteem and behavior problems that could further hinder their ability to learn. And with our experience and the bond we have with their child, we’re better able to help parents navigate the challenges of raising a child with special needs.

More than 6 in 10 California children under the age of 12 live in families where all parents are working³. For this reason, child care providers are a critical component of the state and nation’s economic infrastructure, ensuring that children have a safe space to learn and grow while parents work. Many providers in California stepped up to the challenge of delivering care and distance learning support for families during the COVID-19 pandemic and recession—particularly for children with parents who are essential workers. But the state’s child care system is on the verge of collapse. California’s economy can only recover and thrive when children have a safe place to learn and grow, parents can work with the peace of mind that their children are safe, and providers are supported in sustaining the critical child care industry.