EPIC to Use Transformational Investment to Expand Employer-Based Child Care Services and Supports
During the 15th annual Business Leaders Dinner on September 10, 2024, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) Chief Impact Officer Steph Itelman announced the nonprofit has been awarded a transformational investment from Pivotal, a Melinda French Gates organization. As a non-profit organization rooted in the business community and uniquely equipped to provide neutral, employer-centric expertise in developing child care solutions at scale, EPIC is excited to progress their mission through expansion within Colorado and beyond.
“To be recognized by Pivotal for the critical work we have accomplished in Colorado, and encouraged to broaden our approach to help guide even more employers to providing child care benefits is incredible,” said Nicole Riehl, president and CEO of EPIC. “This investment will enable EPIC to grow our capacity in Colorado, expand into new states, and work alongside business leaders who understand the value of child care benefits for recruiting and retaining top talent today while investing in the workforce of tomorrow.”
Federal infrastructure investments and workforce development efforts in the United States are at an all-time high. EPIC was named as a partner in the introduction of the Investing in America Child Care (IACC) Partnership at the Department of Commerce’s National Child Care Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C. earlier this summer. The philanthropic partnership brings together the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Buffett Early Childhood Fund, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Pivotal, Rockefeller Family Fund, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to coordinate efforts to leverage federal funding through the CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act.
Funding sets the foundation for the nonprofit to extend reach and impact
For 15 years, EPIC has built a reputation for driving innovative and actionable child care solutions through its work with a diverse range of clients with employee numbers from the tens to tens of thousands in urban, rural and resort regions. EPIC has developed a unique model of engaging with business leaders to identify tailored employer child care approaches, provide implementation tools, and advance partnership opportunities to expand child care capacity in communities. EPIC’s work has transformed the way businesses approach workforce support and has served more than 40 employers who collectively employ over 110,000 workers across Colorado. Now, the combination of the Pivotal investment and the timing of the CHIPS Act and IACC Partnership positions EPIC to share their expertise across a broader spectrum of industries in a variety of locations.
“As a one-of-a-kind organization that provides data-driven recommendations for child care solutions, rather than the actual solutions themselves, EPIC is uniquely situated to provide unbiased expertise and recommendations to employers in Colorado and beyond,” said Riehl. “Therefore, this investment will not only go towards expanding our services, but will also enable us to partner with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to create unique web-based resources and tools for employers. Our goal will be to provide foundational knowledge for businesses and leaders who know they want to provide critical child care benefits but don’t know where to start or how to get from point A to point B. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements to come this year!”