Why Public-Private Child Care Partnerships are Created

Typical motivations of various partners include the following:

Families continue to need and seek affordable child care that enhances child development, school readiness and well-being. Families also need and seek education and care in a variety of settings that reflect diverse family and community culture, language, values and a variety of work schedules and situations.

Government at all levels is providing child care assistance to working parents through the tax code and block grant programs to low income families. Government is looking to the private sector for leadership, sources of technical expertise, and innovative ways to finance vital community services because of growing pressure on shrinking public budgets combined with demands for new and better ways of doing business. Government also looks to private-sector initiatives to endure and provide continuity as elected and appointed public-sector leaders change.

Employers are increasingly recognizing the benefits of addressing the work-life needs of their employees in order to attract and retain qualified workers and to enhance their productivity. They also understand that their future financial well-being depends on the economic viability of their communities and that quality child care is an essential ingredient to a healthy economic climate. Additionally, although many employers are enthusiastic partners in efforts to create and improve child care, their resources are limited and they, too, seek the benefit of sharing costs with other employers and public-sector partners.

Philanthropies are seeking new ways to leverage their investments to foster systemic change to improve the way states and communities address the needs of children and their families. New information about the importance of early childhood brain development has also caused some philanthropies to invest in initiatives that support the healthy development of young children, including increasing and improving child care. Other philanthropies are investing in child care as economic development or poverty alleviation strategies.

Educators, child care providers, and health and human service professionals are seeking support from both the public and private sectors to increase and improve community-based child care and to meet other needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families, such as health, housing or employment. They are also interested in finding ways to share knowledge and resources that help them improve the quality of the services they provide.

Community and civic organizations seek similar positive results in delivering effective, efficient services to young children and their families. They are also increasingly understanding that investing in quality child care is an important strategy for: attracting and retaining businesses; preparing children for a productive future in school and work; reducing future dependence on public assistance and reducing crime.

Unions seek quality child care for their members' children and for all young children and their families. Unions are also concerned with promoting a state or community's economic vitality and consider community resources such as child care essential to their members' ability to work.

The most successful partnerships understand and accommodate these motivations and shape partnership goals and activities to benefit all of the partners.