Building Brains & Economies

On a nine-city tour, CHILDREN AT RISK  unveiled an executive summary of their upcoming report, Building Brains and Economies: Quality Child Care as an Engine for Economic Development in a 21st Century Texas, as well as a mapping tool to help local and state leaders improve access to quality early childhood education.

Over a 6-month period across the US, 45% of parents miss work at least once due to child care disruptions, costing American businesses approximately $4.4 billion every year. Lack of affordable child care forces many families to reduce hours or drop out of the workforce, which results in an estimated $8.3 billion annually in lost wages.

Quality child care helps parents during a time when they are stressed and stretched for time and resources, and it provides them with important information on the education and development of their child. From birth through age 3, a child’s brain is forming connections that are literally building a foundation that will impact the child’s future learning, health, and behaviors. The foundation is heavily influenced by interactions with that child’s caregivers, such as parents or child care teachers. Without a strong foundation, children are less likely to succeed in school and later in the workforce.