The Investing in America Child Care Partnership is helping communities across the United States expand access to high-quality, affordable child care while supporting economic development and the growing infrastructure workforce.
Launched in June 2024 by national foundations and nonprofit partners, the initiative brings together public infrastructure and economic development funding with employer partnerships to strengthen local early childhood systems.
The partnership has supported six communities through the Childcare Supply Network: Wayne County, Michigan; Pima County, Arizona; Columbus-Muscogee City-County, Georgia; Multnomah County, Oregon; Cuyahoga County, Ohio; and a statewide initiative in New Hampshire.
These communities are developing place-based public-private partnerships that bring local governments, employers, child care providers and families together to address local child care shortages. The approach recognizes that communities have different workforce needs, regulations and economic conditions.
Innovative strategies include encouraging employers to contribute to child care benefits through public or philanthropic matching funds, combining public and private financing to expand early education facilities, developing new revenue models for child care providers and supporting second- and third-shift care for workers in industries such as manufacturing and construction.
The initiative demonstrates how child care can be treated as an important economic development priority rather than simply a family support service. Reliable child care can help working parents participate in the workforce while giving employers a stronger foundation for recruitment and retention.
The partnership also highlights several policy priorities for sustaining these efforts. These include building broader support among elected officials and business leaders, expanding the use of innovative funding sources, leveraging federal tax incentives and creating long-term solutions that remain effective beyond temporary federal programmes.
By connecting child care investment with infrastructure, workforce development and local economic growth, the Investing in America Child Care Partnership offers a potential model for communities seeking practical and sustainable solutions to child care challenges.
