Upper Valley employers are always on the lookout for good employees, but they face some big challenges. One is the longstanding housing shortage in this region. Another is the shortage of affordable, high-quality care for young children, which causes stress for employees with children and can drive them from the workplace.
EPIC presentation on employer-led childcare solutions. April 9, 2025, Hypertherm Community Room, Lebanon.
But employers can do something about the childcare dilemma, according to an April 9 session of a two-part workshop on employer-led childcare solutions.
Sorry you missed it?
- Watch the video of the April 9 presentation
The conversations throughout the session highlighted the energy and momentum around employer-led childcare strategies. A few key themes emerged:
- The importance of collaboration and creativity in designing sustainable solutions
- How employers of all sizes can take actionable steps
- The value of learning from successful models like Iowa’s Child Care Solutions Fund
- And how critical it is to keep employee voice at the center of these efforts
The group also honed in on the possibility of creating a fund from employer contributions to support the Upper Valley’s early childhood ecosystem.
The May 13 session will build on Part 1 by:
- Revisiting local child care challenges and what we’ve learned so far
- Digging into real strategies that employers can us, focusing on the Solutions Fund
- Figuring out what makes these efforts actually work for employers like us
- And most importantly, finding ways to stay engaged in making this happen
The two-part workshop is being presented by Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC), in collaboration with the Couch Family Foundation, the City of Lebanon, Early care & Education Association, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Upper Valley Business Association, and Vital Communities.