Lynn Coriano, executive director of the Basic Needs Giving Partnership and co-founder of the Greater Fox Valley Child Care Alliance, joins co-hosts Ann Franz of the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance and Kate Bruns of Insight on Manufacturing magazine on this week’s episode of the NEW Manufacturing Insights podcast.
Coriano gives an overview of the problem, with special attention to how the business community can help rally around the issue. It starts with de-stigmatizing lack of child care access, which can be an issue for many workers, she said, and being willing to have important conversations around the topic.
“Create spaces to really listen to what your employees need,” Coriano suggests to business leaders. “That’s really the only way we’re going to have employers understand the magnitude of what’s really happening. Having them at the table in conversation and part of the solution is really critical.”
Coriano explained why child care, including the critical brain development that happens through early childhood education, is of critical importance to employers both now and in the future: “Folks are feeling this near-term pinch, so we want this shorter term fix. But we get this additional benefit. If I’m an employer, yes, I want this benefit for the people I employ now — but their children are the future workforce.”
Ultimately, she said, one single entity isn’t going to solve the crisis. A system-wide approach is needed.
“This isn’t a quick fix. The alliance understands we’re in the long game,” she said. “Everyone’s trying to figure it out on their own when what we really need is a system solution.”
NEW Manufacturing Insights is sponsored by Wisconsin Paper Group and produced by B.J. DeGroot of Woodward Community Media.
Listen to NEWMI everywhere you get your podcasts and subscribe to support the show.
To hear even more from Lynn Coriano, check out the June “Personalities” feature in Insight on Business magazine.
