EXECUTIVES PARTNERING TO INVEST IN CHILDREN
CONTACT
711 Park Avenue West
Denver, CO 80205
303-319-3350
info@EPICimpact.org
Tag Archive for: childcare solutions
Solving Colorado’s Childcare Crisis Through Executive Advocacy: Michael Kehoe Named Board Chair of EPIC
On behalf of our members and staff, we are pleased to announce Michael Kehoe, Vice President of Finance at PCL Construction has been named the Board Chair of Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC). Kehoe will serve a two-year term beginning February 2025. “Good childcare and early childhood education is the best way for our kids to get a head start in life, and is a big part of a young family’s overall wellness,” Kehoe said. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to partner with other business leaders to advocate for parents and ensure every child in Colorado has the care they need.” Kehoe has been involved with EPIC since 2015. As Board Chair, he will lead the Board of Directors in raising awareness of the importance of early childcare and education, championing new policy solutions and providing tools and innovative strategies to help businesses support the development, recruitment and retention of employees. “On behalf of EPIC’s Board of Directors, members and staff, I’m eager to welcome Mike Kehoe as our new Board President,” said Nicole Riehl, President and CEO of EPIC. “Mike is the perfect leader to help usher EPIC into the next two years of growth with a keen eye for initiatives like our national expansion, a new membership framework and ongoing policy and advocacy. I look forward to his leadership and partnership as we work together to create family-friendly change for employers, employees and families.” Kehoe is a lifelong advocate for Colorado families. He served on the Mile High United Way Board of Trustees from 2016-2019, is the former Board Chair of Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado helping to lead their campus redevelopment program and served 19 seasons as a youth sports coach in Golden, Colorado. Learn more about our Board of Directors and how to become an EPIC member here.
EPIC Expands Workforce Initiatives with Employers in Arizona and New Hampshire
As a nonprofit organization founded by business leaders to engage with the business community on childcare efforts, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) helps employers understand the childcare needs of their current and prospective workforce and identify and implement solutions that support their employees and their business. EPIC’s impartial resources and expertise help organizations to find the best way for business to support their employees and their bottom line. With industry partners and employers in many states expressing interest in EPIC’s work and services, the EPIC Board of Directors made a strategic decision to begin planning for expansion in 2023. After operating solely in Colorado for 15 years, EPIC is excited to announce the official launch of our collaboration with employers and business community partners in Arizona and New Hampshire in 2025. These two states were strategically selected to align with the Investing in America Childcare Partnership‘s goal of leveraging federal infrastructure funding efforts to enhance local childcare systems. Below are our latest developments in each state: NEW HAMPSHIRE: Through partnership and funding from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and Couch Family Foundation, EPIC is launching two key projects in early 2025: Upper Valley (Lebanon) Employer Engagement: Conducting a series of workshops, modeled after our Design Lab, to help local businesses assess employee needs and develop targeted childcare solutions. Manchester Initiative: Collaborating with established childcare, community, and business leaders to identify employer engagement strategies. ARIZONA: A powerful coalition of state partners are motivated to work with EPIC in engaging the business community on childcare solutions in 2025 and beyond including: First Things First (FTF) Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry Three regional United Way partners (Valley of the Sun, Tucson & Southern Arizona and Northern Arizona) These expansions represent valuable growth and learning opportunities, enhancing our capacity to serve communities both within Colorado and beyond. EPIC will share our progress and insights as these initiatives unfold. Learn more about our Workplace Support and Client Services.
Addressing America’s Childcare Crisis: The YMCA’s Innovation in Action
By Suzanne McCormick, President and CEO, YMCA of the USA Too many parents across the country face a persistent struggle to find affordable, accessible childcare for their children. While the challenge can feel very personal for families – forcing decisions between pursuing careers or staying home to care for their kids – the prevalence and scale of the struggle affects us all. When parents lack viable childcare options, they’re forced to leave or limit their time in the workforce. Employers then are challenged to find and retain the staff they need to sustain and expand their businesses, and our country continues to fall short of its full economic potential. According to a recent report, the U.S. economy is losing out on billions in economic output as a result of this challenge to find and implement solutions to our country’s childcare crisis. In communities across the country, YMCAs recognize the need to find solutions that work for families and businesses. We are partnering with others in the childcare ecosystem — government entities, community organizations and businesses — to develop innovative and sustainable approaches that work for everyone. Innovation in Action One example comes from the Treasure Valley Family YMCA in Boise, Idaho. The YMCA launched an early learning co-op model that brings together businesses and community organizations to collectively address the region’s childcare needs. This partnership ensures that families can access the care they need while creating a supportive infrastructure for working parents. Another example comes from the Granite YMCA in southern New Hampshire. The YMCA is part of the ReGen Valley Tech Hub, a consortium of more than 40 organizations working to support the area’s growing biofabrication sector. Backed by a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, the Granite YMCA is training childcare staff through an apprenticeship program and providing care for families employed in the region’s emerging industry. This forward-thinking approach not only supports economic growth but also ensures parents can take advantage of new employment opportunities in the area. And recently, the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South announced a groundbreaking partnership with Ford Motor Company to create a new Early Learning Center near Ford’s electric vehicle manufacturing campus in West Tennessee. This center will provide care for children ages six weeks to five years, as well as before- and after-school and summer programs tailored to the schedules of working families. Building a Brighter Future These are just a few examples of how YMCAs are partnering across sectors to address childcare challenges in our communities. The Y’s commitment to families is unwavering, and we will continue seeking opportunities to create needed care options for caregivers and advocating for increased attention and resources to address our country’s childcare crisis. When families have access to high-quality care, children thrive, families can plan for their financial futures and business can access the workforce they need to succeed. The Y is and always will be a trusted practitioner, partner and advocate focused on delivering these positive outcomes for […]
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and EPIC Partner to Provide New Online Resources for Childcare Solutions
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) announced the launch of the Employer Childcare Navigator (The Navigator) website; unveiled at the 2nd annual National Childcare Innovation Summit: Business Leaders in Action in Washington, D.C. The first-of-its-kind website will provide free unbiased expertise and data-driven recommendations to employers interested in contributing to meaningful childcare solutions and support for their workforce, including parents working shifts during non-traditional hours. The newly developed Navigator website builds on the success of the highly touted Employer Roadmap: Childcare Solutions for Working Parents developed by the U.S. Chamber Foundation. This effort takes the action-oriented support from the Employer Roadmap a step further by combining the expertise of the U.S. Chamber Foundation with EPIC’s 15 years of direct business leader engagement to create a tool that helps employers identify their needs, solutions, and action plans. The Navigator website provides free online resources, beginning with a three-minute survey to assess employee needs and determine the viability of various approaches by providing data-driven recommendations that align solutions with the employer’s workforce and operations. The site shares insights into a wide range of childcare solutions and support, tools for planning, access to solution vendors across the country, and case studies highlighting employer-based childcare successes. Ultimately, the Navigator is designed to simplify the process of understanding and implementing childcare supports that boost recruitment, retention, productivity, and job satisfaction, resulting in beneficial gains for businesses and employees. “The U.S. Chamber Foundation is committed to equipping employers with the tools they need to support working parents and strengthen the workforce,” said Aaron Merchen, executive director of early childhood education at the U.S. Chamber Foundation. “The incredible interest in our Employer Roadmap underscored the ongoing need to build on this foundational knowledge. By partnering with EPIC, we are ensuring businesses across the country can benefit from our shared expertise.” The website is made possible by a transformational grant from Pivotal, a network of organizations founded by Melinda French Gates. The grant was awarded to EPIC earlier this year to allow the organization to create access to affordable childcare and expand its efforts in Colorado to additional states and businesses. An increase in demand from a variety of industries and sectors to explore childcare benefits prompted the U.S. Chamber Foundation and EPIC to join forces, combine industry knowledge and provide unbiased guidance via the Navigator. “We are honored to work with the U.S. Chamber Foundation and create this new tool for employers and business leaders across the country, who know they want to provide critical childcare benefits but often don’t know where to start or how to get from point A to point B,” said Nicole Riehl, President and CEO of EPIC. “We recognize there are more organizations than we are able to help with our one-on-one services. By bringing together the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s reach across the nation and our skill set of offering unbiased, data-driven recommendations for childcare solutions, we were able to develop a completely original […]