Economic Benefits Prompt Pledge for Child-Care Bill

Educators and makers of public policy have long considered early-childhood care and education a social service. But a study released yesterday encouraged them to also treat it as an "economic force" that generates an estimated $221 million each year in the District.

The report prompted D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) to promise to introduce legislation early this fall that would give developers incentives for building child-care facilities and increase the number of pre-kindergarten programs.

"It is not only a good thing to do for people; it makes economic sense," he said.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) also pledged his support for expanding and improving programs, speaking at a news conference sponsored by Pre-K for All DC, a nonpartisan campaign working to ensure free pre-kindergarten.

Many of the recommendations in the report align with Fenty's plans to improve public schools by building infrastructure, holding educators and administrators accountable and expanding access. Becoming a world-class city, Fenty said, means "educating the people who live here."

In the long term, the report noted, early education and care programs prepare children for years of schooling and well-paying jobs. That, in turn, lessens expensive social problems such as teen pregnancy and crime.

The $75,000 study also found the programs have immediate benefits: providing 6,300 jobs, supporting working parents with affordable child care and cutting the number of missed workdays because of lapses in child care.

"Sometimes people need to hear the dollar and cents, too," said Brentt Brown, a program manager at the National Economic Development and Law Center, which produced "Ensuring a Vibrant City: The Economic Impact of the Early Care and Education Industry in the District of Columbia."

Groups financing the study included the CityBridge Foundation, the Center for Applied Research and Urban Policy at the University of the District of Columbia, and the D.C. Department of Human Services Early Care and Education Administration.

Having an educated workforce is of particular interest to District business owners, said Barbara Lang, president and CEO of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.

"We must develop public policy for the long-term health of our city," she said. "The short-term fixes won't get us there."

The city must improve its existing licensed programs -- 80 percent of which do not meet national quality standards -- and create more programs, said Carrie L. Thornhill, Pre-K for All DC co-chair. The high-quality programs are often too expensive for many working parents, she said.

"Creating a system of programs that does not vary depending on where you live or how much your parents make is essential," she said.