ARLINGTON, Va. - The Arlington Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the launch of a new program to support early childhood education providers in partnership with 20 Degrees. The Early Childhood Financial Resiliency Accelerator focuses on teaching child care providers the business and financial technical skills necessary to maintain and to grow their businesses and on building a community of practice among child care providers. The program will be available at no cost to the participants thanks to support from Presenting Sponsor Amazon as well as the PNC Foundation.

“Access to child care is a critical need in Arlington, and the pandemic has only exacerbated how much of a challenge finding child care is for parents, and often particularly for women, to participate fully in our workforce,” said Kate Bates, Arlington Chamber President & CEO. “Partnering with 20 Degrees to bring their financial resiliency training for child care providers to our community is a fulfillment of the Chamber’s mission to strengthen businesses and the economic environment for those who work, live, and do business in Arlington.”

“The 20 Degrees team is honored to work alongside women who care for young children day in and day out. We believe this investment by Amazon and the PNC Foundation in small, women-led businesses who care for young children offers a blueprint for other communities who are seeking approachable and creative ways to build resilient, healthy families, workforces, and small businesses,” said Sara Gibson, 20 Degrees Co-Founder & CEO.

According to Arlington County, there were only enough child care slots to serve 55% of Arlington’s children under the age of 5 when Arlington County began its Child Care Initiative, and available child care still falls well short of demand. The impacts of inadequate child care are inequitably distributed, as access to childcare has differed by 10% or more across population groups, with children of color, from low-income families, or with limited English proficiency enrolling at lower rates than peers. Access to child care also has a disparate impact by gender. Nationally, 400,000 more women than men left the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, many due to child care responsibilities.

“High-quality, accessible childcare is a bedrock for our economic competitiveness as well as for closing opportunity gaps for our youngest Arlingtonians,” said Arlington County Board Vice Chair Katie Cristol, “and we can’t meet this need without the passionate entrepreneurs and skilled educators behind our childcare centers, current and future. The business community’s partnership in helping these small, women-led businesses launch and thrive will be felt throughout our economy and community, and we can’t wait to see them succeed.”

“At Amazon, we understand the importance of providing a strong educational foundation for children and are focused on improving educational outcomes for young people, with specific attention to students from underrepresented and underserved communities,” said Brian Kenner, director of public policy for Amazon. “The Early Childhood Financial Resiliency Accelerator is essential in ensuring families have access to quality childcare and early education and importantly, through its support of women-led small businesses, is providing strength and stability for communities impacted throughout the pandemic.”

“Collaborations like this one, between 20 Degrees and the Arlington Chamber, make a big impact. Anything we can do together, to strengthen the business acumen of our early childhood education professionals, supports the workforce ecosystem,” said D. Jermaine Johnson, regional president for PNC Bank in Greater Washington. “For this segment of our business community to thrive, we need these professionals to be both effective educators and skilled business people.”

The initial Arlington cohort of the Early Childhood Financial Resiliency Accelerator will take place in November 2021. 20 Degrees launched the Early Childhood Education Financial Resiliency Accelerator in 2020 and held its first two cohorts in Montgomery County, Maryland; this will be its first cohort in Virginia. Participants will receive cohort-based training and individual coaching sessions leading to customized action plans. The training covers topics including marketing, scenario planning, budgeting & cash flow management, and workplace wellness. By prioritizing community building within the cohort, providers will gain a supportive network with their cohort members. Providers who complete the program will also receive $150 as a recognition of their investment in providing early childhood education in Arlington.

Amongst participants of previous cohorts, more than 90% of home-based childcare participants and 75% of childcare center participants felt more comfortable with the financial position of their operation after participating because of the 20 Degrees Early Childhood Education Financial Resiliency Accelerator.

Early childhood education providers who are interested in participating or would like more information about the program should contact Tom Bartlett at [email protected] or visit 20degs.com.