Date of Award

Winter 12-13-2013

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Abstract

Early childhood education is the beginning part of the education continuum that includes K-12 and post-secondary education. The issue of publicly funded preschool and early childcare in the United States often politically revolves around whether these services are considered education or part of general public welfare services. While review of literature has shown that other industrialized nations have committed substantial public resources to early childhood education, in the United States early childhood education is primarily privately funded by parents and to a much lesser extent by business. This paper will document what are the reasons businesses would invest in early childhood education, the barriers to business investment and the impact awareness literature on the benefits of early childhood education has been with regards to these businesses. This information will be analyzed to determine the most effective ways for early childhood education leaders and organizations to engage the business sector.

The background of this researcher in regards to the field of early care and education is seven years of employment in the field, with an employer that provided subsidized child care to low income families. During this time, the researcher had exposure to research detailing the impacts of early care and education as well as first hand observation of these impacts. This employment has ended, and the researcher now works for the County of Sonoma in the CalWORKS department as an Employment and Training Specialist.

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