By Charles Ross
Since the end of World War II the economics of the workplace and the lack of quality child care encouraged fathers to work and mothers to stay at home while the children were young. Now, however, like my parents even then, mother and father both work, sometimes two jobs.
Roadblocks that separate parents from children need to be overcome. When employees encounter roadblocks, they seem arbitrary, insurmountable, beyond our control: bus schedules; strict factory-floor safety rules; union rules; outside environments or unhealthy conditions for children or uncooperative co-workers.
Given these roadblocks is there a place where business and individual efforts can address them? The need to do so is blatant.
Brain development research shows that at birth the neurons in the brain begin forming “tentative connections.” Through cementing and discarding connections the brain becomes “hardwired.” By age 3, roughly 85% of the brain’s core structure will be formed. Public spending that supports child development, by contrast, is inverted. Public spending averages $1,472 per child per year for children 0-3 years while for children 6-18, it averages $6,567 per child per year: too late.
In 1990, a bipartisan National Education Summit was convened by then-President George H. W. Bush and the National Governor’s Association led by then-Governor Bill Clinton, its first declared goal: By the year 2000, all children will start school ready to learn. We did not make it. So, if public spending is not there and the workplace won’t let nurturing in, what can we do? Take it to the children.
One initiative recognizes the importance of reading to newborns through pre-school age. Annually thousands of children are read The Cat in the Hat near the March 2 birthday of Dr. Seuss. The National Education Association originated the Read Across America program now in its 12th year. The words from The Cat in the Hat were drawn from a vocabulary list for 6- and 7-year-olds. The list was given to Theodor Geisel, best known as Dr. Seuss, by William Spaulding, then the director of Houghton Mifflin's educational division. Even if the words are made up, the sounds are apparently identifiable by the youngest of ears.
It focuses on motivating children to read, in addition to helping them master basic skills. Child development experts seem to agree that for maximum child development, children should be read to as soon after birth as possible.
Businesses can adopt an early childhood development initiative in the workplace -it’s the workforce of the future. Supervisors and employers can utilize various methods to help their employees depending on the demands of the job. Nearly all can clarify the conditions under which employees may leave work to handle family health care involving a child’s medical emergency. Some employers enact “flex time” schedules to accommodate “drop off” times at caregivers or school. Others have even set up a room for on-site day care for the children of employees. Whether a large or small effort, the important first step is to move toward ECD improvement in the workplace.
Charles Ross is the president and chief executive officer of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce.
