Next Atlanta Mayor Must Have Plan to Promote Child Care
Read Pam Tatum's full article in the Saporta Report: bit.ly/Child-Care-Atlanta
The new mayor will take charge of a vibrant city with a reputation as a great place to do business – a city with a growing population and a major destination for young college grads. As many of our lower income residents who have been here for decades can attest, Atlanta lacks affordable, high-quality child care options which often prevents children from obtaining the very best start in life and hinders parents in earning higher education degrees or better paying jobs.
As I peruse the platforms of the mayoral candidates, I am struck by how few even mention the need for quality, affordable child care. Not only is it important for our young children and families, but Georgia’s child care industry contributes more than $4 billion each year to our economy.
By working with parents, child care providers, and others in the early learning field, the next mayor of Atlanta can craft solutions that acknowledge the business realities of the industry and the needs of children, families, and employers. Items that could be explored include:
EMPLOYER SUPPORT: Investments to help families afford quality child care, such as the City of Atlanta becoming a model employer and providing child care subsidies for its low-wage earners to help them afford quality programs while challenging other major employers in Atlanta to do the same.
TAX POLICY: Tax policy that provides incentives to child care programs that provide high-quality child care and to businesses that invest in quality child care. Reviewing the recommendations of the Governor’s Education Reform Commission would be a good first step.
QUALITY INCENTIVES: Targeted loan funds, grants and incentives that are appropriate in scope for the child care industry and incentivize quality and affordability.
ZONING: A review of zoning ordinances and building codes to make sure that while they ensure children’s safety and a community’s quality of life, they don’t serve as barriers to the supply of high-quality and affordable child care.
CITY PLANNING: Community development plans that recognize child care as an important part of a community’s infrastructure - that supports Atlanta’s current workforce and prepares the workforce of the future.
The next mayor of Atlanta has an opportunity to create a city that not only attracts young college graduates, but keeps them here as they start families; a city that provides children with a quality education from birth, regardless of the family’s income; a city that breaks the cycle of poverty and propels Atlanta from one of the worst cities for economic mobility, to a city where we all rise. We ask Atlanta’s next mayor to engage with the early learning community to develop a coordinated approach to developing a supply of quality, affordable child care accessible to all Atlanta families.
Candidates — call me. Let’s talk.
Sincerely,
Pam Tatum
President & CEO
