Columbus City Council hosts talk on early care and education in Franklin County

Pictured from left to right: Dean Donald Pope-Davis, Dr. Laura Justice, Tanny Crane, Dr. Arya Ansari
Photo courtesy of Dean Donald Pope-Davis via Twitter @dpd614

Early care and education lagging in Franklin County

Young children’s early education experiences impact their kindergarten readiness and future school and workplace success. Parents rely on quality early childcare centers for their own participation in the workforce. Yet quality and affordable childcare is lacking – impacting both children, parents, and businesses. Our own backyard is not immune to the current childcare crisis. Columbus City Council recently invited local businesses and early childhood advocates to talk about this issue.

Executive director Dr. Laura Justice presented on the rapid brain development that occurs from birth to 5. During this critical window, children need quality early learning experiences to support healthy development.
Faculty associate Dr. Arya Ansari presented research findings that show Franklin County lags national averages of early education participation. The study also found that parents struggle to find care, which then disrupts their work. Local business leaders reiterated this as they talked about the challenges they face.
City Council President Pro Tempore Elizabeth Brown and Tanny Crane, CEO and President of the Crane Group, spoke about the needs facing the business community as it relates to reliable, high-quality child care. Tanny Crane framed the conversation as a business leader and invited Corrine Burger from J.P. Morgan Chase to share on the difficulty of workforce retention due to childcare difficulties.
There is work underway locally that is promising in addressing some of these challenges in early child care and education. Council President Pro Tem Brown reinforced Columbus City Council’s commitment to early child care and workforce development. Dr. Justice highlighted Early Start Columbus’ success in preparing preschoolers for kindergarten. Jane Leach, CEO of Future Ready Columbus, discussed their plan to address systemic issues affecting kindergarten readiness.

The road ahead is still very long and necessary. This event called for both the public and private sectors to participate in improving the early childhood education system to benefit children, families, and businesses.