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Our three organizations – Large Winston-Salem Inc,, Reach the female networkAnd Winston-Salem leadership – Work intentionally in Forsyth’s county to develop and support the development of our local workforce, including potential, new and established business owners, entrepreneurs, women and employees of our community of tomorrow.
But these efforts to make Winston-Salem an employer of choice, a commercial destination and an incubator for innovation are hampered by persistent and omnipresent gaps in the custody of affordable, accessible and high quality children for the workforce of the County of Forsyth. There are five families in the running for each location of childcare under license, and in many cases, the annual cost of these care now exceeds the cost of a year of college.
Our trilemma of children’s childcare – limited availability, quality and affordability – has created a crisis that has an impact not only on our local workforce, but also on the greatest economy. Three revealing statistics:
- According to a survey on NC Chamber Foundation’s day care, nearly 60% of NC workers with children under the age of five who left their jobs have cited the inability to find childcare services as a key reason.
- This same survey revealed that 37% of workers with children under the age of five said they had refused an opportunity for employment, promotion or job change because acceptance of this opportunity would have increased their childcare expenses to an unaffordable level.
- In a survey on the Reach Women’s Network among more than 700 women in the County of Forsyth, almost half of the participants listed the responsibilities of childcare as the first issue hindering progress at work.
As a community, and especially as a business world, we must approach the childcare crisis and develop solutions that allow our employers and our workforce to achieve their full potential. In the past four months, our organizations have organized a series of community conversations to bring together employers, community leaders and daycare experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities concerning the quality of early childhood education.
We have heard owners of childcare services on the investment and conservation of early childhood educators. We have learned businesses like Thrivemore, who heads the Brookridge retirement community, from their plans to build a on -site child care center operated by Cares. And we have acquired information from industry experts such as Children’s resource centerwhich works with local companies to connect their employees to childcare options.
But we have to do more – much more.
It is time to think of innovative partnerships – between companies and daycares, neighboring companies, downtown spaces and manufacturing campuses – to start reducing the burden confronted with families with young children.
The first step is to be informed, and we encourage this community to read a new report entitled “Early childhood education is everyone’s business” published by Pre-K priorityA community coalition working together to improve the quality, accessibility and number of pre-K classrooms in the County of Forsyth in order to eliminate persistent educational disparities among students entering kindergarten.
This report includes vital information on our local workforce and the economic impacts of an inaccessible, unavailable and unavailable child care. More importantly, it highlights the companies in the avenues can take to move forward to resolve the trilemma of childcare.
The second is to ask your employees what they need in terms of support and resources related to childcare services and early childhood education. Statement of resources such as Family Forward NC Have survey samples to get started, as well as a multitude of information, including work guides for paid holidays, allowances, flexible expenditure accounts and other child care considerations.
The third is to connect with local and state resources to see which avenues can be the best for your organization. Through Forsyth worksPropelled by the Grand Winston-Salem Inc., your company can become an employer of Forsyth Yorks of choice to report your commitment to create a flourishing workplace. The childcare resource center is another precious resources in the service of organizations and families in our region by meeting childcare needs with childcare services.
The fourth is to lend your voice alongside collaboration efforts as Pre-K priority To defend our youngest learners and their families. Pre-K priority community partners include organizational organizations on early childhood education, including agencies, non-profit organizations, public and private centers, family childcare homes, secondary education establishments, as well as parents. They create spaces for important conversations and plea work to perform in the County of Forsyth.
Let’s work to secure our future. Early childhood education is everyone’s business.
