Our movement was ignited by data that showed that while Fort Worth stands as the 13th largest city in the nation and boasts the fastest-growing employment sector, our children were not performing to their full potential: Over the last seven years, the local community has collaboratively worked to build a brighter future for Fort Worth by strengthening the supports available to our youngest children and their families.
The first three years of a child’s life are when the brain is developing at its most rapid rate – with 1,000 new neural connections forming every second. Children who are exposed to quality child care are more likely to graduate high school, have better health and educational outcomes, and earn a higher wage in their later years. (Source: 2015 JPMorgan Chase & Co. Dallas – Fort Worth Skills Gap Report)
Attracting and retaining a highly productive workforce today entails providing quality, dependable child care options for working parents. 60% of local non-working parents of young children claim child care as one of the top five reasons they do not participate in the workforce.
To sustain Fort Worth – the fastest growing large city in the U.S. – local businesses must be equipped with family-friendly policies, child care partnership opportunities and other innovative strategies that help to attract, retain, and maximize the performance of top talent.
Our effort acknowledges that an entire local ecosystem impacts children – and provides tangible opportunities for various sectors to support a brighter future for Fort Worth. The Best Place for Kids! movement is not only aware of families’ critical need for quality child care, but also intentionally supports the healthy development of children during their critical first five years of life. We do this by supporting children, schools, community partners, businesses, and working parents in innovative ways that enable our community to thrive and support our continued economic growth.
