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First Steps News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 24, 2006
[ link to pdf ]
Study Says Child
Care Industry is Vital to South Carolina’s Economy
Columbia, S.C. – First Steps
announced the public release today of the first-ever study
on the impact of the child care industry on the state’s
economy, The Economic Impacts of the Child Care Industry in
South Carolina: Investing Early for Future Economic and Community
Benefits.
Authored by Dr. Donald Schunk of the University of South
Carolina’s Moore School of Business, the study profiles
the state’s child care industry, examines its current
and potential economic value, and recommends methods to support
positive change for child care in South Carolina. The development
of final recommendations is planned as part of the Governor’s
Summit on Early Learning in early 2007.
“Child care providers are a necessary piece of the
economic infrastructure of South Carolina,” said Dr.
Schunk. “Just as a transportation network, utilities,
quality education, and a health care system are vital for
supporting economic activity, so too is the availability of
child care.”
The study was commissioned by Richland County First Steps
to School Readiness and the Richland County Early Education
Council with support from S.C. First Steps, the United Way
of the Midlands, and Voices for South Carolina’s Children.
Important points of the study include:
- S.C.’s child care industry has an estimated $782.2
million impact on the state’s economy, comparable
to the newspaper publishing industry, the TV/radio industry
or the poultry and egg industry.
- The child care industry enables over 75,600 parents to
participate in S.C.’s workforce. These parents earn
an estimated $2.4 billion annually.
- There are over 2,800 child care facilities in S.C., providing
care for nearly 118,200 children and jobs for over 15,150
people. Annual wages for those employees amount to $228.4
million.
“We have long known that a quality child care experience
is vital to the education of our youngest children. This historic
study reveals to business and public policy leaders that child
care is also a critical part of the Palmetto State economy,”
said First Steps Executive Director Susan DeVenny. “Dr.
Schunk’s work outlines a clear correlation between economic
development and high quality child care.”
The study can be found online at www.rcfirststeps.org/EconomicImpact.pdf.
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