Thank you so much for your attending the 2nd annual Focused on the First Five Years: Orange County's State of Early Care and Education. 

We hope you gained greater insight into how early care and education can benefit not only your community, but your business as well.  An investment in early childhood education today will have a large impact on a highly-skilled workforce tomorrow.

As we shared during the event, the first five years are the most critical in the development of a child's brain.  During these early years, children begin to develop their cognitive, social, emotional, and language skills which help them relate to and interact with the world around them. In fact, from birth to age three, children grow and learn at an intense rate. These are the years when children are learning how to learn. The first five years represent the pivotal juncture of nurture and nature and how they shape the development of young minds.

Click on the video to find out how the investment of $1  can return $15.67. 

As a business leader you can be a powerful voice in advocating for sound investments in Orange County.

Here's how you can take action :  

• Write an Op-ed or letter to the editor; call into talk radio; post on a blog.
• Contact your local children's group to offer to participate in events to represent the business voice.
• Encourage providers of early childhood services to join business and civic organization.
• Participate in the Child Care Executive Partnership(CCEP)
• Contact policy makers, leveraging your relationships
• Attend The First Five Years Gala 
• Volunteer to become a Guest Reader 
• Make a financial investment with a $15.67 return for every dollar.