County officials shed light on childhood education and care

Key Takeaways

Recent reporting shows that inadequate childcare causes American workers to lose between 9 million and 26 million hours of work in any given week. The loss of these hours not only affects parents’ economic and social mobility but also has a negative impact on children’s development.   

It is with facts like these that county leaders joined together for a conversation on prenatal-to-three (PN-3) priorities during NACo's Annual Conference. One enduring concern was that of navigating the current evolving political environment while acknowledging differences in priorities among local, state and federal partners about how to address these issues.  

Crucial issues 

Several themes emerged during this conversation. 

PN-3 issues affect all gender diversities and require a multisector approach. Elected officials often use terms like infants and toddlers during PN-3 discussions to restructure others' thinking and expand early childhood priorities which often only focuses on the four-to-five-year-old age group.  

Funding challenges for early childhood education and childcare were vocalized by several participants. Although state representatives are supporting cost-sharing model pilot programs, several county officials shared that they believe it is counterintuitive to implementing sustainable universal childcare. As local resources continue to shift, leaders expressed their concern for providing support to families in need and sustaining meal program services.  

Health care workforce shortages affected experiences and providers prioritized pregnant people further along in their pregnancies because of limited capacity.  A common theme during these interactions within the health care system was implicit biases among providers and dismissal of real symptoms. Participants shared their own vulnerable interactions and their family members’ interactions with health care providers.  

Forward-thinking strategies  

Despite these challenges, local leaders continue to innovate in the face of ongoing challenges to amplify PN-3 priorities and provide support to families in their communities, including:  

• Leverage federal funding to support families and childcare programs, such as at-home infant childcare programs, and pilot programs to provide families with financial assistance.
• Support state initiatives like refundable family tax credits and paid family leave.
• Collaborate with community members to uplift their experiences and stories and encourage broader perspectives in PN-3 discussions.  

Key takeaways  

The conversation underscored several fundamental areas for improvement across education, health care and government sectors. County leaders are looking to organizations like NACo and other national leaders to champion PN-3 issues. County leaders aim to build a better future to ensure children and families have access to equitable health care and education through a comprehensive lens.  

As one participant noted, “This is our future, this is our country; and if you do not want to care about the people, care about your country.”