Dear Members of our Business Community,

Childcare is not just a family issue—it is a workforce and economic issue. The Greater Shreveport Chamber has been actively involved in helping to craft policy to improve access to high quality early childhood education (ECE) in our community, and we still need your help to ensure that our strategies are positively impacting both businesses and families in Northwest Louisiana.

In collaboration with the US Chamber of Commerce and the Institute for Nonprofit Administration and Research (INAR) at Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSUS) we are conducting a study about the state of and need for ECE in our community and we are asking you to help in two ways.  One is a survey for businesses and the other is a series of focus groups for your employees with young children.

1. We ask that you take a few minutes to complete an employer survey at this link:
https://lsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0Jnz9RSESSUlpeC

2. We also ask you to encourage your employees who have children ages 0–5 to participate in one of the focus groups below.

These focus groups will allow us to understand the experiences young families are having with childcare access, affordability, and availability in our community. Their perspectives are critical to understanding the real challenges facing working families. Spots are limited, and sessions will fill quickly.

Focus group sign-up:
https://survey.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8nZh3bwJagXedJY

Focus Group Opportunities (Employees with Children Ages 0–5)

Wednesday March 25 | 12:00–1:00 PM
Willis Knighton North, Eye Institute (2611 Greenwood Rd.) – Auditorium U-Section, 1st Floor

Thursday, March 26 | 5:30–6:30 PM
The Arc Caddo-Bossier Goldman School, 351 Jordan St. – Cafeteria

Friday, March 27 | 12:00–1:00 PM
Willis Knighton South (2510 W. Bert Kouns Industrial Loop) – Conference Room B

Your participation—and your support in sharing this with your employees—will directly contribute to shaping solutions that strengthen our workforce and community.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions about this research.

Thank you for your time and leadership.

Timothy J. Magner Ed.D.
President