Early Childhood Symposium

This free virtual event will feature a comprehensive two-day programming of breakout seminars and panels designed to underscore the economic impacts of child care, the significance of child development, and the critical need for increased access to early childhood education. Drawing on data and research, participants will explore local funding strategies, the impact of child care on businesses and communities, and current early childhood education research and projects across the state. Researchers, policymakers, business leaders, ECE system leaders, and community leaders are invited to attend.

Attendees of the symposium selected workshops from the following tracks: 

• Policy & Systems: Funding the Future of Early Childhood: Attendees in this track will hear presentations about legislative advocacy, creative local funding streams, and systems-level policy strategies driving investment in early childhood education.
• Community & Family Supports: The Ripple Effect: Attendees in this track will hear presentations about how cross-sector partnerships and community-based support systems strengthen families — and the broader economic and social returns when families have access to what they need.
• Workforce & Talent: Child Care as Workforce Infrastructure: Attendees in this track will hear presentations about how access to quality child care drives parent workforce participation, and the recruitment, retention, and compensation challenges facing the early childhood workforce itself.