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Committee for Economic Development

The Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) is the nonprofit, nonpartisan, business-led public policy center that delivers well-researched analysis and reasoned solutions in the nation’s interest.

CED Trustee members are chief executive officers and key executives of leading US companies who bring their unique experience to address today’s pressing policy issues. Early childhood education has been a priority issue of policy work at CED for more than 50 years.

State allies can call on the Committee for Economic Development to:

Help communicate early care and education priority needs with an economic development and growth framework.

CED helps states with approaches that increase the quality of and access to child care and early learning; promote effective child care business practices; advance the professional development and compensation of early childhood educators (including tax credits); and bring an integrated approach to better meet the needs of families with children, employers, and communities.

Leverage economic expertise and knowledge of CCDBG and other related laws to help states advance child care policy strategies.

CED helps states with approaches that increase the quality of and access to early learning; promote effective child care business practices; advance the professional development and compensation of early childhood educators (including tax credits); and bring an integrated approach to better meet the needs of families with children, employers, and communities.

Guide collaboration with the business community to expand support and explore new sources offinancing for early care and education.

CED works with state advocates and business leaders to identify policy solutions (including tax credit incentives) and promote new revenue generating options for early care and education.

On the Ground:

  • In South Dakota, CED provided policy background memos, child care mapping (including unregulated care), and review of pending legislation with recommended revisions.

  • In Montana, CED drafted several tax policy one-pagers for use with state policymakers and advocates (an overview of child care tax credit policy, tax credits in other states, and ECE workforce compensation state tax credit strategies). 

  • In Delaware, CED created two online child care affordability calculators to show family income and expenses and the price of child care by county. A second Delaware calculator was created to show family income by parent occupations, expenses, and the price of care. Both calculators can be used with state policymakers to show the challenge parents have in affording child care. The online calculator, where users select an occupation for parent(s), helps policymakers visualize working family challenges.

“The team at CED were strong and informative partners in this project helping us design a product (two online child care affordability calculators) that would be helpful for our campaign this year on affordability for early care and education. They customized the design to align with our messaging and were great listeners and experts in the process. This kind of financial tool, paired with parents’ voices we are elevating, is a key component of our work this year.”

Julia Zammith, Policy and Advocacy Manager,
Rodel, Delaware

“CED has been an invaluable partner. From data research and analysis to the tools and reports they’ve produced, their work products, insights, and thought partnership has been a terrific resource for Tennessee.”

Blair Taylor, President and CEO,
Tennesseans for Quality Early Education

“CED has helped South Dakota in so many ways, but some of the most influential items have come from extremely quick turnaround on almost any request we have had from a legislator. These requests range from bill ideas/proposals to the cost of preschool for all children ages 3-4 in the state.”

Kayla Klein, Founder and CEO, Klein Visionary Group