Public Engagement/Economic impact study

Ensuring a Vibrant City: The Economic Impact of the Early Care
and Education Industry in the District of Columbia
CityBridge Foundation partnered with the Center for Applied Research and Urban Policy at the University of the District of Columbia in 2006 to commission a study on the economic impact of the early childhood industry—including child development centers, school pre-k classrooms, and Head Start centers—on the city’s economy. With such a study in hand, supporters of high-quality early childhood can appeal to the “unlikely audience” of the business community.

The National Economic Development and Law Center (NEDLC), based in Oakland, authored the study. Drawing on their experience in drafting over a dozen similar reports, NEDLC researchers convened a local technical advisory committee to identify data sources, take advantage of past research efforts (including the Pre-K for All cost-benefit study), and examine their initial findings.

Released in June 2007, the study concluded:

• The early care and education industry generated $221 million in annual receipts—more than nursing care facilities or security services.
• The equivalent of 6,300 full-time employees work in the early care and education industry—more than in commercial construction, more than in grocery stores.
• The industry enabled the parents of 53,000 D.C. families to join and stay in the city’s workforce. 

For the full report:

Ensuring a Vibrant City:

The Economic Impact of the Early Care and Education Industry in the District of Columbia

After the release of the report, UDC and the D.C. Chamber of Commerce began a joint effort to engage the business community on the issue of early childhood education. Pre-K for All DC plans to use the report to bolster the economic case for high-quality early childhood education.

CityBridge/NEDLC Grant: $50,000