Joe Fretwell’s Post

NEW LIIF REPORT on Harris County, Texas' #childcare ecosystem (https://lnkd.in/g9RyZCK3). Our research finds that, of the 2,613 child care facilities in the county, which includes Greater #Houston, 99.5% are in areas with climate risk that exceeds the national average. And over half of all child care supply – 104,000 seats in total – faces disaster risk above the 90th percentile nationally. Despite these risks, data from a survey LIIF conducted of child care program directors in May 2024 reveals that many programs lack the financial resources and capacity to weatherize their facilities.  #climatechange #climateemergency

Candelen is delighted to launch its second research study designed to understand the reasons why families opt for home-based child care providers and what motivates these providers to offer care to their own family members, friends, and neighbors. This study aims to shed light on the key factors influencing these critical decisions and offer valuable insights for our community. We believe that understanding these dynamics is essential for supporting families and caregivers in meaningful ways. If you're interested in learning more, you can reach out for a personalized presentation and an in-depth overview of the data. Don't miss out on the comprehensive findings in the Arizona Home-Based Child Care Report! You can read the full report here: candelen.org/research/ #arizonachildcare #homebasedchildcare #earlychildhoodeducation #caregivers #homeschool #zerotofive

Leaders in all sectors agree that child care is one of the key issues we need to solve in rural Oregon to unlock economic development potential, family financial security and higher quality early childhood education. I invite you to read this recent research with strategies for how the state can support rural families get the access to care they need.

In the last several years, Oregon #ChildCare advocates and lawmakers have made significant progress toward making sure families and kids get the care and early learning experiences they need. This includes passing legislation and creating the new Department of Early Learning and Care state agency. Recent gains are at risk, however, due to state budget shortfalls and the impending end of federal funding. And despite important progress, many families—particularly in rural Oregon—remain underserved by the child care system. There is still work to do to strengthen the child care ecosystem to benefit the youngest Oregonians and their families and communities. Download the full report with key strategies for addressing Oregon’s child care crisis at https://lnkd.in/gqSpdF_D.

Critical opportunity for every America, parent, uncle, aunt, sibling, grandparents! And, not just because Senator Tim Kaine does such a great job in my own state of Virginia, but because there are critical opportunities in this package. Take a look! https://lnkd.in/eXKeJtj5 As Americans, we've understood that when we create companies and have employees that providing benefits to our employees enables a happy more productive employee. This package bolsters the underutilized Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit—commonly referred to as 45F—and encourages businesses to provide child care to their employees. The Kaine-Britt plan would increase the maximum credit from $150,000 to $500,000, and the percentage of expenses covered from 25% to 50%. The legislation also includes a larger incentive for small businesses—a maximum credit of $600,000—and allows for joint applications for groups of small businesses who want to pool resources. Tom Weber

🍎🏫 Reducing Barriers to Child Care 🏫🍎 Access to affordable, high-quality child care is essential for supporting Oregon's families, economy, and workforce. In response to the state’s critical need for child care access, Oregon's legislature passed House Bill 2727 in 2023, requiring a comprehensive study on regulatory barriers to developing child care facilities. Under the direction of this bill, DLCD with the help of the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care, convened a workgroup of child care providers, regulators, and advocacy partners to examine these barriers and recommend strategies to support facility development. The workgroup published their findings and recommendations in a December 2024 report to legislature. This report includes numerous recommendations for state agencies and local governments, in addition to identifying eleven key policy recommendations, a few of which are already under consideration as legislative concepts for the 2025 legislative session. Check out "Reducing Barriers to Developing Child Care Facilities Across Oregon" on the DLCD website: https://lnkd.in/gbczjaAR. #ChildCare #WorkGroup #Recommendations

LIIF has conducted an in-depth landscape analysis of the current state of the #childcare ecosystem in Georgia. Read report @ https://lnkd.in/gecxwea5. Key takeaways: >Child care providers find local regulations confusing and hard to navigate. >Local elected officials know child care is an issue but don't know what they can do to help. >Economic development efforts across the state have not taken child care into account but recognize it is an issue that needs to be addressed. DYK: LIIF's child care model comprises facilities fund management, capacity building and advisory services. Learn more @ https://bit.ly/4ceiBl0. #CDFI #CDFIs #communitydevelopment

👶🏽🏫 Let’s Talk Child Care: Expanding Access for Maryland Families Access to affordable, reliable child care is essential for families and a strong workforce. That’s why increasing child care availability is a key focus of our 2025 Legislative Agenda. Here’s the challenge: The cost and limited availability of child care continue to impact Marylanders’ ability to return to the workforce. By expanding child care options, we can support families and strengthen our economy. Our key priorities include: ✅ Incentivizing the opening of new child care facilities to meet growing demand. 🏫 Expanding existing facilities to serve more families across the state. 💼 Reducing barriers for parents re-entering the workforce. Together, we can create a brighter future for children, families, and our communities. What solutions would you like to see to improve child care access? Share your thoughts below! 👇 #ChildCareAccess #FamilySupport #WorkforceDevelopment #LegislativeAgenda #FutureForward

The Missing Piece: Central Office Support With nearly half of Missouri’s young children living in "child care deserts," a new report from the New Growth Women’s Business Center and the Missouri University Extension proposes a business-oriented solution: Shared services or central office support for small and home-based child care providers. Read and download the report, Solving Missouri’s Child Care Puzzle. Plan to join upcoming webinars about shared service solutions in child care. The webinars will feature on-the-ground experience from around the country. Solving Missouri’s Child Care Puzzle offers insights and examples from a growing national shared services movement in early child care and education. It also provides the context of Missouri initiatives and investments that local and state leaders could align and advance for development of shared service support to small and home-based child care providers. Read more at https://lnkd.in/gUX_VBXd #newgrowthmo #mochildcare #childcareinmissouri

The Crane Center's recent study highlights the economic benefits and challenges facing child care providers in Colorado. The research reveals the costs providers incur to deliver high-quality care and underscores child care’s vital role in supporting workforce participation and economic stability. With evidence-based insights, this study aims to inform policy improvements that make child care more sustainable for providers and accessible for families. To inform Ohio's child care landscape, the study from Colorado highlights two key insights: 💡High Costs for Quality Care – Child care providers face significant operational expenses to maintain quality, impacting affordability and access. 💡Economic Benefits of Child Care – Accessible child care supports workforce participation and broader economic stability, underlining the importance of funding for sustainable, high-quality child care systems. These findings could support Ohio's efforts to enhance child care affordability and sustainability. #ChildCareEconomics #EarlyChildhoodEducation #WorkforceSupport #PolicyChange #CraneCenter #Colorado