More Early Care and Education Projects

The economic impact of the early care and education (ECE) industry in Montana

The Insight Center is working with the Governor’s Office and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation to analyze and present the economic impact of ECE, particularly on workforce development in Montana. The study is a follow-up to the Governor’s Business Partnerships Summit on School Readiness held on October 4, 2006.

Training leaders in Amador and Calaveras Counties, California

Staff members at the Insight Center are training ECE leaders in Amador and Calaveras counties, east of Sacramento, to collect and analyze economic information about their industry. Local leaders will then prepare reports detailing the economic impact of ECE in their local communities and use the information to advocate for stronger links between ECE and efforts to stimulate economic activity.

Riverside County needs-assessment fact sheets

Riverside County is one of the fastest-growing counties in California, and it has tremendous ECE needs. The Insight Center is working with First 5 Riverside to prepare ECE needs-assessment fact sheets for all 24 incorporated cities and five supervisorial districts in the county, in order to provide the clearest picture of current and future ECE needs. The assessment fact sheets will serve as complementary documents to the Riverside County ECE economic impact report and will arm local child advocates with the information to influence ECE policy and planning, including changing city general plans to support the development of ECE facilities.

Career pathways and the economic impact of ECE in Los Angeles

Only eight states have populations larger than that of Los Angeles County. The Insight Center is working with a unique collaboration between the City of Los Angeles Workforce Investment Board, the City of Los Angeles Commission for Children, Youth and Their Families, the County of Los Angeles Child Care Planning Committee, and Los Angeles Universal Preschool. These four agencies have pooled resources to create the first-ever career pathways and economic impact study of the ECE industry in the City and County of Los Angeles. An advisory board of business leaders, ECE experts, and economic-development specialists will develop recommendations for strengthening the ECE workforce and outcomes for Los Angeles’s children.

Strengthening ECE systems in North Carolina by linking ECE and economic development

As part of the All on Board for Children initiative, the Insight Center is working with the North Carolina Partnership for Children to link ECE and economic development in the state. Current efforts include disseminating economic messages that articulate the importance of strong ECE systems for maintaining a vibrant state economy, and working with local leaders to strengthen ECE partnerships within North Carolina counties.

Strengthening ECE systems in Hawaii by linking ECE and economic development

As part of the All on Board for Children Initiative, the Insight Center is working with Good Beginnings Alliance to form a business council for ECE. The council creates and disseminates messages to the business community and provides a voice for the business community about how to strengthen ECE in the islands.

The economic impact of the ECE industry in Washington, D.C.

The Insight Center worked with the CityBridge Foundation and the Center for Applied Research and Urban Policy at the University of the District of Columbia to analyze the economics of the District’s ECE system and make recommendations for strengthening the industry. At the release of the report on June 18, 2007, Mayor Adrian Fenty, City Council Chairman Vincent Gray, and D.C. Chamber of Commerce President Barbara Lang spoke of the economic importance of ECE and committed to working to make it stronger


The economic impact of the ECE industry in Fresno, California

In partnership with First 5 Fresno, the Insight Center produced a report on the economic impact of ECE in Fresno County. The findings of the report were presented to the County Board of Supervisors and the main local paper, the Fresno Bee, on June 5, 2007.

The economic impact of the ECE industry in South Hampton Roads, Virginia

Working with the newly formed South Hampton Roads Early Childhood Coalition, the Insight Center prepared a report about the economics of ECE in the South Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia. Released in May 2006 and funded by the Virginia Department of Social Services and the Batten Educational Achievement Fund of the Norfolk Foundation, the report accompanied a study of the ECE workforce and the development of an ECE career pathway guide. The coalition used the results of the studies to advance their policy agenda for improving ECE. 

Economic analysis of services for babies in Los Angeles

The Insight Center worked with the western office of ZERO TO THREE to develop an economic analysis of a First 5 Los Angeles initiative for young children and their parents. The initiative involved community-based places to deliver services to new parents and their young children. This analysis also included policy recommendations to strengthen the capacity of Los Angeles's prenatal-through-three services.

Linking ECE and economic development: results of a national meeting

On July 25 and 26, 2005, the Insight Center brought together, for the first time, leaders from across the country who partnered with the Insight Center to bring light to the economic power of ECE.  The Insight Center produced a report based on the discussions at the convention and reflecting participants’ insights and ideas. The first three sections lay out the necessary ingredients for change—clear policy agendas, effective messaging, and engagement from new partners. The last section suggests ways that state and national leaders can build on their individual momentum to create a national initiative.