Early learning: Valuable investment for employers

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is one in a series of weekly articles focused on action steps that groups within the community can take to support early learning. It is part of the Great Start Collaborative of Calhoun County's effort to ensure that every child in Calhoun County will be safe, healthy, prepared and eager to succeed in school and life.

Business leadership is a crucial component for a community's future success. The support of that leadership in early learning will help ensure that the young children of today will become our community's future leaders. Action steps that business leaders and employers can take to support early learning follow several separate but equally important paths.

To assist employees, employers can:

• Inform employees about the importance of the first years of life by providing parenting information using communication vehicles such as break room and restroom bulletin boards, lobby and elevator posters, internal newsletters, web-based articles, employee e-mails and paycheck inserts.

• Set up break rooms as family education centers with posters, educational information, as well as closed-circuit monitors running public service announcements that provide tips for parents and phone numbers and a guide for local parent resources.

• Sponsor parenting workshops or parent education seminars with local speakers and parent educators at your workplace during lunch or before and after work hours

• Honor and reward employees who volunteer to provide or improve early childhood programs and services

• Offer employees access to online parenting information and resources through your internal website.

•Model and publicize best practices in workplace flexibility and supports for working parents and caregivers.

Within the larger community, employers can:

• Work with media to publicize local programs that offer parent education, family support, early care and education and health services.

• Provide in-kind support, such as copying, faxing, language translation services, printing and mailing to early childhood health, education and care and family support programs within your community.

• Inform the community about the importance of the early years in company ads, promotions and products.

• Communicate concern about the importance of the early years to policy makers and the media.

• Encourage colleagues and leaders at all levels to serve on community early childhood planning and public policy committees.

• Share expertise (such as accounting skills, management training, public relations) with early care and education programs and health and family support programs. Volunteer to serve on boards of early childhood groups.

• Honor state and local leaders and organizations that are making a difference for young children and their families.

• Host or sponsor community and legislative forums on early childhood topics, such as early childhood brain development, the relationship between economics and early childhood development, effective parenting programs, improving the quality of child care and expanding access to health care.

• Work with community partners to expand and improve health services, early care and education, and family support and parent education programs for families with young children.

In their relationship with customers, employers can:

• Inform customers about the importance of the first years of life and provide parenting information using existing communication vehicles, including receipts and bill stuffers.

• Sponsor community parenting seminars.

• Provide a welcoming environment for parents with young children and be supportive of their unique needs as customers

The influence employers have within their community concerning the importance of early learning can go a long way in ensuring that future businesses will continue to employ workers who are well-educated, responsible, contributing members of their community.

Effective early learning provides current and future benefits for us all.

Born Learning is a public engagement campaign helping parents, caregivers and communities create early learning opportunities for young children. Born Learning educational materials are made possible through the efforts of United Way, United Way Success by 6 and Civitas.

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20111002/OPINION02/110020306