The expansive investments in our infrastructure through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are imperative to the future success of our state. Roads, bridges and public transit physically connect us and support our economy. However, another component of our infrastructure that is just as critical to the success of our families and economy is early care and education. Just as roads enable employees to work reliably, child care allows working parents to get to work and stay there without disruption.
When parents have affordable, high-quality child care for their children, they can fully participate in the workforce, and our economy benefits from the fruit of their talent. When parents cannot access child care, they are often forced to arrive to work late, leave early, miss work entirely or quit. These child care breakdowns stifle businesses that depend on a stable workforce and communities that thrive on economic activity.
Moreover, just as investing in our roads and bridges yields positive impacts now and in the future, so too does investing in early care and education. Children are able to get a strong start in school and life, leading to a more skilled, capable workforce in the future. Parents in the workforce of today are able to focus on building their careers, leading to long-term financial stability. These two-generational benefits from child care access produce ongoing, sustained economic productivity for our state.
Early care and education is the industry that allows all other industries to thrive. So much so that when businesses look to expand into our state, access to child care is considered right alongside the quality of our transportation, roads and bridges. By recognizing early care and education as an essential infrastructure component, we can ensure a more robust, resilient economy and a brighter future for our children.
MATTILYN BATSONÂ
director of policy & research, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children
Baton Rouge