Montana Early Childhood Business Summit, 10/4, Missoula – Child care touted as economic tool

Governor Schweitzer Invites All Montana Ambassadors, Business Leaders and Interested Citizens to the Early Childhood Business Summit

What, you might ask, do early childhood businesses have to do with the future of Montana?

When you think about it….everything. Mary Jane Standaert, Head Start/State Collaboration Office put
it this way, “If we consider the reality that the early childhood businesses in communities are in fact businesses
who make it possible for other people to work and thus for businesses to conduct their business, then I think
there are many possibilities for everyone to take part.”

Interested? Here are more details….

Governor Brian Schweitzer, in partnership with the Washington Foundation, will be hosting by invitation an Early Childhood
Business Summit on October 4, 2006 at the Hilton Garden Inns in Missoula, Montana.

The goal of this summit is to engage Montana’s
business leaders in an early childhood agenda that will benefit Montana’s youngest citizens as well as create an
environment in which current workers are more productive and efficient while their children are preparing to become our future leaders
and contribute as an integral part of Montana’s future workforce.

There will be a presentation on the economic advantages of supporting
early childhood education and care by Art Rolnick- a nationally lauded economist and champion of early childhood
education and care.

RSVP by 9/29 to Sheryll Stewart at 406-523-1320 or [email protected]

Contact for more information: Jon Thompson, Governor’s Office of Economic Development, 406-444-5634

Additionally, a community forum will be held at the University of Montana to bring together students and faculty from
the School of Business and the School of Education to discuss the shared goals of their professions and to educate our
future business and education leaders on how they can work together to weave the care of our children into the fabric of the business driven world.

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Child care touted as economic tool

Quality child care is an important and often overlooked tool for spurring economic development’

The report concludes that child care has benefits much further reaching than simply the parents of the child. Businesses benefit because parents are more productive when they know their children are cared for and safe. Child care could also be a selling point to attract young, skilled workers to the region. And children also benefit because research shows they perform better in school when they have received quality care during the first six years.

By Kimberly Peterson
The Journal Gazette

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/business/15610703.htm

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CED Releases Report on Economic Benefits of Investing in Preschool http://www.matr.net/article-19761.html

Universal preschool proposed in Calif. http://www.matr.net/article-19403.html

Full-day kindergarten. Montana kids deserve it now http://www.matr.net/article-19388.html

The Effects of Investing in Early Education on Economic Growth http://www.matr.net/article-19295.html

Universal preschool, universal benefits http://www.matr.net/article-18764.html

Early Childhood Education Endorsed as Economic Development Strategy http://www.matr.net/article-16895.html

States should invest in preschool http://www.matr.net/article-16764.html

Report Highlights Governors Leadership on Pre-Kindergarten http://www.matr.net/article-14516.html

Early education called business asset http://www.matr.net/article-14023.html