The City of Akron is launching a pilot program to invest in and revamp the city’s diaspora of early childcare providers.
The 12-month program, dubbed the Unified Early Learning System, will offer substantial business support to eight of Akron’s existing providers. The program intends to bolster workforce pipelines and increase employee retention by providing tools for business owners to adopt more sustainable practices.
“The folks who are early childhood educators need a community that has their back,” Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said Thursday evening while flanked by 17 educators and care providers.
Reimaging early childhood education in Akron a long time coming
Malik noted that Akron is the one of the largest Ohio cities without universal early childhood education. Lagging behind the rest of the country has benefits, however…