Resources for
Working Parents
Tools & Strategies
for Employers
Why ECE is
Smart Business
Thank you for visiting the ECE Toolkit website. We look forward to a post-COVID-19 time when the detailed Early Care and Education resources on this website will be useful for the diverse employers and employees in Montgomery County.
In the meantime, if you are caring for young children at home during this crisis, we invite you to take a look at More Resources for Parents and Caregivers. In addition, parents who are essential employees can visit the Maryland Department of Education and the Division of Early Childhood for information on qualifying child care programs for essential employees.
A stronger, more equitable Early Care and Education system in our county is critical in supporting the workforce of today and educating the workforce of tomorrow. Montgomery Moving Forward will continue to work towards this system to support our children, families, and employers during this crisis and beyond.
Welcome to the ECE Toolkit
The Early Care and Education Toolkit is a resource for employers in Montgomery County, Maryland. This Toolkit brings together key information and resources on how you can do more to support working parents with young children.
The ECE Toolkit was developed by a team of local employers and child care experts. Our goal is to make it easy for employers of all sizes to find answers and get inspired.
Early Care and Education (ECE) is how many child-development experts talk about child care from birth to age 5. They do so because the first five years are critical for brain development. What happens during these formative years lays the foundation for a child’s future success in school and in life. ECE emphasizes the fact that young children are always learning. All early care is also early education, so the quality of care should be a top concern for parents and employers.
Early Care and Education (ECE) is how many child-development experts talk about child care from birth to age 5. They do so because the first five years are critical for brain development. What happens during these formative years lays the foundation for a child’s future success in school and in life. ECE emphasizes the fact that young children are always learning. All early care is also early education, so the quality of care should be a top concern for parents and employers.
Tricia Swanson, VP of Government Relations at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, on the ECE Toolkit as a resource for both employers and employees.
Working parents with young children need accurate information on how to find affordable, high-quality child care and how to pay for it. This section of the ECE Toolkit offers answers, guidance, and links to resources that can provide additional assistance.
As an employer, there are many steps you can take to be more responsive to the challenges faced by employees with young children. This section of the ECE Toolkit brings together information, resources, and best practices that can help you create an ECE-friendly workplace – including many no-cost and low-cost ideas.
Being an employer who cares about ECE can help you attract and retain employees, as well as reduce the day-to-day costs associated with child care challenges. Making ECE a priority – in your workplace and your community – is also a powerful way to invest in the workforce of tomorrow.
Tricia Swanson, VP of Government Relations at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, on the value of the ECE Toolkit as a resource for both employers and employees.