Latest news with #U.S.ChamberofCommerceFoundation
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Spending on child care would grow Indiana's economy
A U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation report showed that insufficient child care capacity costs Indiana over $4.2 billion annually in lost business productivity and foregone income tax revenue from household employment interruptions. (Getty Images) Indiana lawmakers face difficult choices as they iron out the final details of the next biennial spending plan. With revenue growth forecasted to be minimal, the General Assembly is balancing myriad pressures – leading to debates about property taxes, universal school choice, public health funding and Medicaid. But in all these debates about numbers, our leaders must not lose sight of the thousands of Hoosier kids and families who are waiting for access to child care through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). By investing in these families – as Gov. Mike Braun has advocated in his budget – we'll generate a massive economic return for our state and the working families who reside here. Indiana loses billions each year by failing to provide comprehensive early childhood education investments. A U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation report showed that insufficient child care capacity costs Indiana over $4.2 billion annually in lost business productivity and foregone income tax revenue from household employment interruptions. Early childhood education is one of the best investments a state can make, as national reports show between a $4 and $9 return on every dollar invested in such programs. Nearly a third of Hoosiers have experienced changes to their employment status due to lack of child care access, including reductions in hours, turning down promotions or new positions, and losing their jobs or leaving the workforce altogether. And since an announcement from the Family and Social Services Administration last December, more than 10,000 low-income kids are currently waiting for a voucher through CCDF. Report: state loses out on $4.2B annually due to child care shortage What else is at risk to Hoosiers if we don't fund child care? Thousands more children are at risk of not having their CCDF vouchers renewed if the state fails to adequately fund the program in the next biennium. Former Gov. Eric Holcomb's administration took many steps to increase access to the program, including expanding eligibility for low-income families and child care workers, but these updates often relied on one-time federal funding that has now been spent. If we fail to fund these families who currently rely on the CCDF vouchers, they will likely lose access to care. That could imperil the financial viability of hundreds of child care providers if families lose their ability to pay for care, further damaging Indiana's already limited child care capacity, according to a recent analysis by Early Learning Indiana. Closures of providers would also impact families who do not rely on CCDF, as providers would struggle to maintain staff ratios and group sizes without enough enrolled students. A lack of funding in one area of the system creates instability in other parts, and instability hurts Hoosier families and businesses alike. Braun's budget proposal contained a tremendous amount of support for early learning, including over $369 million for CCDF, nearly doubling funding for the state's On My Way Pre-K program, and the creation of a local child care assistance program to support local efforts to increase child care seats. It also included $600,000 annually to support pre-K services for blind and low-vision kids. These are the kinds of proposals that would help deliver on the governor's commitments to equip the next generation of Hoosiers through education and improve quality of life and economic opportunity for Hoosier families. Ambitious plans and proposals have been and will continue to be floated, and questions about how to pay for it all will continue until a final budget is passed. No doubt there are many worthy and important demands for state funding. As the General Assembly moves forward, it's key for lawmakers to recognize how vital child care is to Indiana's economic prosperity and household productivity. Now, more than ever, Hoosier families need the state's support. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Associated Press
21-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Sands Hires Its First Corporate Team Member Through the Hiring Our Heroes Program
Las Vegas Sands After participating in the Hiring Our Heroes program at corporate headquarters this past year, Sands hired its first program fellow in early 2025. Chase Jackson recently completed his service in the U.S. Air Force as a Technical Sergeant, Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) journeyman/Joint Terminal Attack Controller instructor and was matched with Sands as an HOH fellow last fall. He joined the company as a cybersecurity analyst at the culmination of his fellowship in January. It's no coincidence that Sands' first HOH hire was in cybersecurity. The company was introduced to the program by Doug Medley, director of Cybersecurity, who also participated in HOH. 'HOH was one of many Department of Defense SkillBridge opportunities presented to me during my Transition Assistance Program briefings,' Medley said. 'As an HOH alum, I felt it was important to add a pathway for separating service members to work in positions not associated with the government. Since I saw first-hand the win-win situation the program offers, it only made sense to bring it to Sands.' The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's HOH program is offered to military service members, veterans, and military spouses. Launched in 2011, Hiring Our Heroes connects the military community with American businesses to spur economic opportunity and a strong, diversified workforce. The program aims to create meaningful employment opportunities through hiring events, digital programs, upskilling opportunities and fellowships. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation connects participating host employers to its rich pipeline of military talent for a 12-week fellowship. Candidates are carefully matched with participating companies based on their specific skills and company needs. Once fellows are assigned to a host company, they undergo exclusive on-the-job training and are able to gain work experience in the private sector. This real-world training is augmented by weekly educational sessions held for the HOH cohort working in various company assignments. 'The host company gets access to a large group of professionals with a wide variety of skillsets and experience levels to grow and sustain their team,' Medley said. 'They also get to know a candidate and determine suitability for a role without all the costs associated with hiring a team member or paid intern. Service members get to learn about a company while still receiving their military pay and benefits. This allows them more flexibility and opportunities to find a job that is the right fit for them.' Jackson found Sands and the cybersecurity team to be a great fit for his desired professional environment. 'The individuals who work here respect people who are willing to work hard,' he said. 'Co-workers go above and beyond to help those that want to learn. Management goes above and beyond to accommodate personal life events such as appointments, emergencies, etc. This means a lot to me because added flexibility provides more control in personal 'life' situations.' With his positive experience, Jackson encourages other members of the military community to consider the opportunities that Hiring Our Heroes can offer. 'I think the benefits of the program are awesome for people who know the company they want to work for as well as those that have no idea what company they want to work for,' he said.'From personal experience, we usually have no idea what we want to do after leaving the military. HOH gives transitioning service members the chance to market their skills for roles outside the military, honing in on what fields best suit their learned skillsets. I honestly could not have had a better experience.' Sands' participation in Hiring Our Heroes is part of the company's ambition to contribute $200 million globally to workforce programs from 2021-2025. As of the end of 2023, Sands had contributed $181 million to programs in this area and will update on its 2024 progress in its next ESG report to be published this spring. To learn more about the company's priority on workforce development, read the most recent ESG report:
Wall Street Journal
08-04-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Many U.S. Companies Plan to Keep China Ties, Survey Finds
Washington and Beijing may be headed toward decoupling. But U.S. companies' ties with China are proving hard to break. A new report commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation showed that many of the roughly 200 American companies surveyed in the past couple of years plan to hold on to or increase their ties with China, even as some companies sought to diversify out of the country as tensions between the powers deepened.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lack of child care costs Ohio economy $5.48B each year, new Chamber report finds
Ohio's lack of affordable child care is hurting more than working parents. It's costing the state's economy $5.48 billion in untapped taxes and employer earnings each year, according to a new U.S. Chamber Foundation report. "Child care is a national crisis. Everyone is struggling with child care," Aaron Merchen, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's executive director of early childhood education policy, told those gathered for an Ohio Chamber of Commerce child care summit. "You're in good company." The report estimated the economic drag for multiple states: Michigan is losing $2.88 billion each year in economic potential, Florida is seeing a $5.38 billion hit to its economy and Texas is losing $9.39 billion a year in economic output. The new Ohio-specific report details the struggles that working parents know too well. Families spent an average of $572 each month on child care and 70% use some financial assistance program to pay for it. The most popular was the federal child tax credit. One in four parents reported that they or someone else in their families shifted their schedule or worked fewer hours to accommodate for child care. About 22% worked while caring for a child, according to the new report. 'Even if child care issues are not forcing parents out of the workforce, they do have an impact on employment,' said Blanche Delrieu, a business analyst for the Cicero Group, which conducted the review. About 40% of parents attending school or training had a disruption to their education because of child care issues. But the report also details the overall economic impact of that child care access problem, estimating that Ohio is losing out on $1.52 billion in tax revenue and businesses are losing $3.97 billion in earnings from turnover and absenteeism. Publicly funded child care is less accessible in Ohio than in other states. Ohio sets eligibility at 145% of the federal poverty level, which is about $46,600 for a family of four. All surrounding states have a higher threshold, making public assistance easier to access. Ohio does offer child care vouchers for families up to 200% of the federal poverty level, a new program that Gov. Mike DeWine championed. Merchen said that cutoff, wherever a state decides to put it, impacts who can access affordable child care and who can't. "There is a correlation between the line at which you are eligile for state investment in child care costs and the accessibility," he said. DeWine proposed a refundable tax credit of $1,000 per child in his two-year budget. But House Republicans axed that idea along with the cigarette tax hike that paid for it. Instead, they proposed a pilot program where businesses, state government and families each pay a portion of child care costs. The chamber report is the latest sign that businesses are taking child care access seriously. A recent Groundwork Ohio poll found 86% of Ohioans believed that increasing access to high-quality, affordable child care would strengthen Ohio's economy. Business groups like the U.S. Chamber and Ohio Chamber of Commerce are prioritizing access to child care in their discussions with state lawmakers. That's a good sign as child care providers, business leaders and legislators work toward solutions, Merchan said. "Ohio is taking this seriously." Read the report here: U.S. Chamber Foundation report on the cost of child care in Ohio by Jessie Balmert on Scribd State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@ or @jbalmert on X. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lack of child care costs Ohio economy $5.48B each year, report finds
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Three Johnson City middle schoolers advance to state Civics Bee competition
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Local middle school students showed off their social studies knowledge at the National Civics Bee in Johnson City on Thursday. The National Civics Bee program was developed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and The Civic Trust to encourage civic education among 6th to 8th-grade students across 47 states. The Johnson City Chamber of Commerce and the City of Johnson City partnered with the foundation to host the event for the second year. 'It's really a chance for them to like, practice using their voice to fight for justice and speak up for people that maybe don't have the bandwidth to do so and to fight to, you know, address those inequalities that we have in society,' Heather Champney, parent of a contestant, said. Two nursing scholarships honoring Boone McCrary accepting donations 20 finalists gathered at the Langston Centre to perform in a live quiz and Q&A session for cash prizes and a chance to compete in the state and national competitions. Participants previously submitted a 750-word essay. The top three finalists moved on to the state National Civics Bee competition, which will be in Nashville this spring. The results from the local competition are below: 1st place: Anneliese Crider, 8th grade at University School ($600 prize) 2nd place: Broderick Ward, 8th grade at Liberty Bell Middle School ($300 prize) 3rd place: William Tran, 8th grade at Liberty Bell Middle School ($175 prize) 'Showing the next generation how they fit into the process of democracy and governing is something we are committed to doing, and the National Civics Bee program is one of the best ways to do it,' Bob Cantler, Johnson City Chamber President/CEO, said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
