Partners in Early Childhood and Economic Development (ECED) includes four founding members - the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, Committee for Economic Development, First Children's Finance and Linking Economic Development and Child Care Project* -- working with a growing group of business partners, early care and education groups, federal and state agencies, policy-makers and advocates.

Founded in January 2007 with the support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, we work to seek out, develop and support new early care and education strategies that lead to more effective investment, greater innovation and improved public policy

locally and nationally. ECED establishes new private sector/public sector connections, shares innovative approaches and crafts model approaches to early care and investment policy and finance.

Our goal is to increase nationwide investments in early care and education (ECE) that will help children succeed in school and life, help parents become more productive employees secure in the knowledge that their children are cared for during work hours, and help communities expand their economies through the jobs created and the income and tax revenues generated by ECE businesses.

* The Linking Economic Development and Child Card Project is a collaboration of Cornell University, the Alliance for Early Childhood Finance, the Institute for Women's Policy Research and Smart Start's National Technical Assistance Center

 Why ECE?

ECE programs have long been regarded as an important step in preparing children for school. Over time, the value of investing in quality ECE programs has emerged as one of the most promising ways to help strengthen the future economic and fiscal position of states and our nation as a whole. An expanded supply of quality

early care and education will help children, parents and communities. Viewing early care and education as an economic issue, as well as a social or educational one, can spark innovative and systematic change in investment strategies, policies and programs.

 November Convening

In November 2009 in Washington, D.C., the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and ECED brought together state and federal policy-makers, researchers, business leaders and the early childhood community to discuss innovative strategies for funding affordable early care and education. The convening was designed to help the public and policymakers understand that the early years are critical to the future success of our children and nation, and to encourage leaders to explore new strategies for ECE policy, administration and

financing. Among the topics discussed were: ECE as economic development; strengthening market-based ECE services for low-income families; leveraging public and private sector resources; the financing and business development of ECE facilities; and helping high-quality ECE providers attain scale and sustainability. Details on those discussions can be found here. A summary of comments by Joan Lombardi, deputy assistant secretary of health and human services, can be found here.
 

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