During our August virtual convening of our MAX Leadership Network, our focus was on child care and returning to work. We heard from a panel comprised of Mindy Binderman with the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS), Tim Cairl with the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Jill O’Meara and Laura Wagner with the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL).
The panel, moderated by Joe Dan Banker with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), focused on the following:
- The economic case for child care and why high quality early childhood education is so critical
- The state of child care before COVID-19
- Key issues affecting child care today in the midst of the pandemic
- How GEAARS and DECAL are responding
- What employers and providers should expect
- How child care is operating during the pandemic from a safety perspective
Following the panel, attendees had the opportunity to participate in breakout discussions to do a deeper dive into key takeaways and ideas for moving forward to address the child care need.
Click here for a recording of the discussions.
ABOUT THE MAX LEADERSHIP NETWORK
The MAX Leadership Network is comprised of workforce leaders who convene regularly to strengthen our collective capacity as workforce developers to meet the needs that employers have for a ready workforce. Members of this network come together to jointly do the following:
- Learn more about who is doing what, where, and for whom
- Explore common issues and opportunities, and share ideas for building solutions
- Make new connections and catalyze partnerships
- Keep each other updated and informed on ways we can help each other
Members of the Leadership Network represent nonprofit community based organizations, technical colleges, state agencies, local workforce boards, chambers of commerce, intermediaries, and other key partners in workforce.
The MAX Leadership Network will convene again on October 12th.