It’s Time! Event a Big Success

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Children’s Council extends a big “thank you” to everyone who helped make It’s Time! Investing in Early Care and Education on May 27 so successful. More than 110 people joined us to learn about the importance of child care and early education for both parents and children.

The centerpiece of the program was a sneak preview of The Raising of America, a documentary that details the struggles of working families and presents practical solutions for improving our economy as a whole by investing in young children.

Associate Producer Rachel Poulain described the awareness she hopes the project will raise, “When we look at what policies we do or don’t have, what we’re really saying to parents is, ‘this is the degree to which we are invested in you and literally invested in our future.’”

After the film, Ted Lempert, President of Children Now, spoke about early care and education policy in California. He described a burgeoning consensus among policymakers, business leaders, and children’s advocates that, “If we want to have an economy 30, 40, 50 years from now, early care and education is the issue.”

Lempert also pointed out the artificial barrier between birth-5 and K-12 education. He said “Education begins at birth. If we’re serious about equal opportunity, we have to start at the beginning because that’s where the gap is.”

Sandee Blechman, Children’s Council’s Executive Director, discussed the local environment. Many audience members were shocked to learn that San Francisco has 3,500 low-income children on a waiting list for subsidized child care.

On a positive note, Blechman noted that the city’s supply of quality child care spaces continues to increase thanks to investment by local government and foundations. Blechman and Lempert agreed that San Francisco serves as a model for other California cities when it comes to investing in families and young children.

The program concluded with lively questions from the audience, particularly how the average person can encourage policymakers and business leaders to invest in early care and education. Because today’s infants and toddlers are tomorrow’s workforce.

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