Economist says quality child care is key to economic growth

FORT WAYNE -- The state wants to get the message out that quality child care helps businesses to thrive and can serve as an economic development tool for Indiana.\nA statewide public awareness tour sponsored by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration is necessary to put child care on the agenda of economic development agencies, economist Morton Marcus said during a stop Monday in Fort Wayne.\nHaving quality child care obviously benefits parents but also generally helps the work force, Marcus said.\nParents are more productive when they know their children are cared for and safe, he said, and child care could be a selling point to attract young, skilled workers.\nChildren also benefit because research shows they perform better in school when they have received quality care during the first six years, he said.\n"If nobody tells you your hair is important, you won't care about your hair. But when somebody says, 'Pay attention to your hair,' you'll start to look at it. That's what we are trying to do here," Marcus said.\nThe tour also features Carole Stein, the chief executive officer of the Stein Group, an Indianapolis-based think tank focusing on child and family issues.\n"Child care used to be seen as a social or welfare issue, but we're really seeing it as a link for the parents to be able to go to work -- an employment issue," Stein said.\nNortheast Indiana has organizations devoted to improving the quality of child care in the area, including Paths to Quality, a regional organization that licensed or accredited child-care providers can join.