GUEST COLUMNIST - Early childhood development

A strategic investment for Rockford’s business community

EMILY KLONICKI executive director, Alignment Rockford

The Rockford business community knows the power of strategic investments—always on the lookout for opportunities that promise significant returns. One often overlooked avenue lies in early childhood development. The investment in our youngest generation not only upholds a vital social responsibility but also lays the foundation for future economic growth and community prosperity.

Children who enter kindergarten on track in their development are more likely to thrive academically, graduate high school, attain higher levels of education, and land stable, well-paying jobs. This trajectory fosters a future workforce that is skilled, competitive and capable of stimulating consumer spending, thereby fortifying our local economy.

Unfortunately, during the most critical time of development from birth to age five, there is little institutionalized support for parents and caregivers of young children. These “first teachers” of our future generation work in your businesses. They juggle work demands and the rising cost of living, and have few options for quality early childhood education and care.

Imagine a community where these parents and care givers were supported, uplifted and given a great toolset. Imagine a community in which they had the time and peace of mind to talk and play with their children—the single most important activity for building young brains.

Actualizing this vision requires a comprehensive, community-wide approach. In Rockford, Alignment Rockford spearheads the Ready to Learn collaboration, a collective force of more than 60 agencies and organizations implementing a strategy known as Community Parent Support Saturation. This approach creates a nurturing environment for every child in Rockford by harnessing the collective strength of our community.

A key piece of this strategy is the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a tool that sets community-based goals around early childhood development and assesses the outcomes of our collective efforts. The EDI, which measures a child’s readiness for school across five crucial domains, helps us understand the unique needs of our community’s youngest members. It’s a model that has seen success in other regions, such as British Columbia, where the EDI has been instrumental in identifying areas of need and guiding strategies to improve early childhood experiences.

The business sector plays a pivotal role in driving this change. Here are a few ways your business can engage:

1. Donate to the Ready to Learn movement: Your financial support can help implement the Early Development Instrument (EDI) and integrate Community Parent Support Saturation in Rockford, directly enhancing the readiness and wellness of our youngest citizens. (alignmentrockford.org/ourwork/early-childhood)

2. Advocate for early childhood investment: Use your voice to lobby for increased local and state government support for early childhood initiatives, thereby influencing policy changes that can have far-reaching impacts. Early childhood should be a leading policy initiative, not a sidebar. (www. advanceillinois.org/policy-areas/ early-childhood-education-care)

3. Integrate family friendly workplace standards: Implementing practices laid out in the National Work + Family Standards (familyfriendlyworkplaces. com/standards), such as hybrid work models, flexible family leave time, parental leave and childcare benefits, can create a supportive and healthy environment for employees with young children. This not only enhances their well-being and productivity but also contributes to the broader goal of supporting early childhood development.

Supporting early childhood development goes beyond fulfilling a social responsibility—it’s a strategic investment in Rockford’s future prosperity. The business community, with its capacity for influence and change, is an indispensable partner in this mission. By investing in our children today, we are sowing seeds for a vibrant, resilient and economically robust Rockford of tomorrow.

The views expressed are those of Klonicki and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.