Early childhood development has significant effects on businesses and the community. In fact, investments in early childhood development increases productivity.

Employees who have access to reliable, quality early care and education experience lower absentee and turnover rates. That, in turn, affects the bottom line for businesses in lowering recruitment and training costs.

Paul Alexander from West Coast Wheel Accessories in Grand Junction put it this way: “Child care is a business problem. My top guy had to leave work yesterday in the middle of the day because he didn’t have child care. It’s a problem for expanding our business.”

Multiple efforts are in place. Child care slots are on the rise, recently exceeding 5,000 slots for the approximately 8,000 children ages newborn to 4 years old. Mesa County still lacks availability, however, which affects the economy.

Mesa County parents and caregivers report inability to accept employment due to a lack of available child care. Business leaders report barriers to hiring and retention due to the issue as many parents work.

One Mesa County parent said this: “I had a job offer with a starting date two days later. This was not enough time for me to find child care. It took weeks, and I ultimately quit because I couldn’t find reliable care.”

The child care industry supports other industries, allowing families to join and make gains in the local workforce and stimulate the economy.

Childhood development also affects our children’s trajectories. This important stage lays the foundation for school readiness and their future success. Our children deserve access to what they need to thrive — quality care and education, healthy foods that nurture their bodies and minds and a solid foundation that sets the stage for their futures.

Businesses can implement family friendly policies to assist working families, including hybrid models and flexible schedules.

Community Hospital and the City of Grand Junction also are implementing employer-based child care in partnership with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood as well as the Executives Partnering to Invest in Children.

The Mesa County Partnership for Children and Families (PCF), the county’s early childhood council, maintains a child care database called Bridgecare  — visit https://childcare.mesacountypcf.org — employers can share with families searching for care. PCF also offers a local resource with further information on local and state efforts or how to get involved.

Early childhood constitutes the most rapid time in human development — 85 percent of all brain development occurs by age 3.

Parents should also be able to go to work, expand their careers and provide for their families without barriers or worrying at work about their children. Investing in early childhood development not only benefits our families, but also our community now and in the future.

By recognizing the importance of early childhood, businesses can make a positive impact on the community, cultivate economic growth and promote a healthy future for children and the workforce.