Collaboration with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors is the cornerstone of Early Learning Venture’s work. Our public policy and advocacy work requires that we identify barriers and develop new market interventions to increase universal access to high-quality ECE. Leverage is a significant component to our public policy strategies; leveraging existing human capital to provide technical assistance and reduce overhead costs; leveraging intellectual capital to effect systems change; and leveraging financial capital to a sector previously ignored.

Current public funding is fragmented and often placed in constricting silos. In order to maximize the potential of the existing funding streams, we are working to find efficiencies and ways in which we can streamline the process. Moreover, in Colorado we are identifying critical ways that the state legislature is able to insure that Early Care and Education funding stays intact as we move through the current fiscal crisis.

The US Early Care and Education Industry Key Facts

• ECE includes over 300,000 establishments (120,000 centers and 214,000 home‐based businesses); most are structured as for‐profit businesses.
• Public agencies providing ECE represent a small fraction – probably less than 6% – of total services
• Consumers are the primary funder of ECE, spending approximately $46 billion annually, or about 57% of total industry revenues.
• Most ECE businesses are small; the average center‐based program enrolls only 75 children.

EPIC (Executives Partnering To Invest In Children)

Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) is a coalition of business leaders who believe education is a top public policy priority. In addition to the business leaders, EPIC is a partnership of nonprofits and foundations actively involved in early childhood care and education. The convening organizations include the Colorado Children’s Campaign, Colorado Concern, David and Laura Merage Foundation, Mile High United Way, Telluride Foundation, and Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation.

EPIC’s business leaders advocate for quality investments in early childhood development for Colorado children from birth to age eight. Our CEO Roundtable sets priorities based on policy recommendations from the Executive Committee, then uses their vast network of resources to ensure effective policy implementation. They take their business savvy and apply it to investing in early childhood, which offer the best rates of economic and social returns.

Tomorrow's engineers, bankers, teachers, health care providers,  military leaders, and business leaders are starting their educational careers today. For the next two decades, they will be learning how to think, act, and compete in the global marketplace. Together, we can increase their odds of success: by investing in our youngest learners today, we can build tomorrow's workforce to keep Colorado strong.  Click here to learn more.