Partnering to Improve Child Care
Partnering to Improve Childcare: University, HUD, and Private Business proposes that the government, private businesses, and early childhood groups must join forces in collaborative partnerships to unite the workforce and childcare needs of communities. These strong partnerships will lead to quality childcare services for young children. This book emerged from the belief that early childhood programming has a significant role in helping families (parents, children, grandparents) move out of poverty (literally in terms of the larger vision of HUD programming). The contexts of poverty can make for various challenges to change the course of generational cycles of poverty. Knowing that children and childcare are the sources of hope for many families, the commitment to quality childcare in one setting that already had childcare became the group's focus. Networks must be designed with an intentional purpose to create quality childcare in collaboration with workforce initiatives. In a society driven by its economy, childcare is essential in keeping the workforce at work.
Christopher Meidl is associate professor in the Department of Instruction and Leadership Education at Duquesne University.