Children Before Dollar Signs: Necessary Guardrails for Private Equity in Child Care

Over the past several months, multiple education publications and organizations have directed important attention to the increasingly significant influence of private equity and other forms of institutional, profit-seeking investment in the child care industry in the United States. Many policy advocates warn that an increased presence of private equity, venture capital and other corporate actors in child care markets will result in greater focus on profit and wealth generation while the long-standing issues of cost, quality, workforce development and retention will be overlooked and exacerbated. Advocates and policymakers are beginning to take steps to bring attention to the issue and to determine what guardrails are needed to ensure that the key issues continue to be addressed in the midst of a drive toward profit. This session will engage both child care leaders and national advocates and researchers in a discussion of the concerns and actions needed to prevent a complete departure from what is in the best interest of providers and families. We will explore how private equity and other profit-seeking investments are intersecting with local, state and federal government investments and what we can all do to ensure that child care remains affordable and attainable. 
Panelists: Elliot Haspel, Capita; and others TBD.
(Partner Webinar)