A study released yesterday shows that high-quality child care can play a significant role in attracting and sustaining a strong downtown workforce and should be viewed as a major tool to economic development.
A study released yesterday shows that high-quality child care can play a significant role in attracting and sustaining a strong downtown workforce and should be viewed as a major tool to economic development.
Community leaders, business people and academics have been meeting, as the Community Collaboration for Quality Child Care in Downtown Buffalo, to discuss ways to incorporate that knowledge into the future development of our downtown core. The most visible result of the process can be seen in the future establishment of Vincennes Academy in the redeveloped Webb building.
“Child care is part of a fabric that can create a rich environment to attract businesses downtown,” said Lauren Breen, a clinical assistant professor at UB Law, as she spoke of using it as a “recruitment tool.” The study proves that quality child care has great economic effects for the city, creating revenue and jobs. “For every dollar spent on child care in the Buffalo-Niagara region, an additional two dollars is generated in the local economy,” Breen added.
The study also shows workers are more productive and miss fewer days of work when they are confident in the care of their children. With a workforce in Buffalo that predominantly shows a need for access to childcare – the majority being either women or between ages 16 and 44 – the study underscores the importance of making it reliable, high-quality and affordable.
“Quality child care benefits working parents who can be secure in the knowledge that their children are being nurtured every day…and it benefits employers when parents can focus on their jobs and be more productive workers,” said Arlene Kraus, president of United Way of Buffalo & Erie County.
While the meeting focused on the issues surrounding child care from an adult’s perspective, participants made sure to not forget “the child in child care.” Child care is above all an investment in a young person’s future, to ensure he or she will function at his or her ultimate level later in life.
The report points to research that indicates that universal early childhood education programs reduce special education expenditures by 12 percent and grade repetition costs by 21 percent. In addition to personally benefiting the children – who can learn at a higher level and receive help at an earlier age – quality childcare helps alleviate the economic and social costs associated with inadequate child care.
“This study is about how we have to create a better system, from the grassroots level, to address those (social and economic) issues early on,” said Lou Jean Fleron, director of the Cornell school that facilitated the study. “As more companies work toward providing quality child care, our community can attract and retain younger workers, create a dynamic workforce and enable the workers to advance in their careers.”
The Collaboration is encouraging the Buffalo business community to become aware of the opportunities for funds and tax credits to assist their own employees and other businesses in building a solid child care infrastructure downtown. “There are already things every employer can do to enhance employees’ access to quality childcare,” Breen said. “They can do it without it costing an extra penny; they just don’t know what’s available to them.”
It sounds like businesses should listen to this one… for the sake of our city, and our children.