Children Before Profits State Playbook & Report
Children before profits state playbook
The Children Before Profits State Playbook is a joint project of the Open Markets Institute, Community Change, National Women’s Law Center, and Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund.
It equips state and local organizers, advocates, and policymakers with practical tools to address the risks posed by the growing role of private equity in U.S. child care markets.
Across the country, families, workers, and community leaders are fighting to build a child care system that treats care as a public good – one that is universal, affordable, and high-quality, and supported by a well-paid, stable workforce. This vision of child care is within reach, but it is increasingly threatened by profit-first private equity acquisitions in the child care industry.
Private equity has a long and unfortunate track record of acquiring essential community services – such as housing and health care – only to cut costs, degrade job and care quality, and weaken relationships with workers, families, and suppliers in pursuit of higher returns. Growing evidence shows the same pattern emerging in child care, particularly as states increase public investment. Eight of the ten largest child care companies in the U.S. are now owned by private equity, and in states like New Jersey, two-thirds of for-profit child care chains with three or more locations are private-equity-owned.
This report describes ways to strengthen guardrails that protect families and workers; maintain fair and competitive child care markets; equitably increase the supply of child care by supporting alternatives to private equity; and build public power for greater corporate accountability.
Report contact: stienon@openmarketsinstitute.org
the power to curb private equity’s takeover of child care lies largely with state and local leaders, organizations, and communities.
Model State Legislation
Includes language for increasing transparency about PE involvement in child care programs; putting guardrails in public funding contracts with providers; ensuring compliance; and increasing public reporting on the make-up and performance of child care markets.
Contact: ndastur@communitychange.org
Campaign Resources
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The campaign guide contains an overview of steps to take to start a campaign around private equity in child care in your state or city, with examples of corporate campaigns, legislative approaches, and winning executive or regulatory action. It includes a reading list and links to campaign resources.
Also see the Campaign Roadmap resource.
Contact: For help analyzing child care private equity in your state or locality contact: hibba@ourfinancialsecurity.org
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This template slide deck can be modified to prepare an educational presentation for your organization or membership base if you are thinking about starting a private equity in childcare campaign. It draws from materials in the backgrounder and campaign guide, which can serve as scripts for the presentation.
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A set of talking points for sharing the risks and solutions concerning private equity in child care with policymakers, journalists, and neighbors.
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Private equity tends to make a common set of arguments in defense of its extractive financial model. Here are some facts worth sharing in response.
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Learn more about how private equity has shaped other essential services in this Understanding Private Equity backgrounder.
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Learn how advocates have confronted private equity in child care in Colorado, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
Contact: aroyce@nwlc.org, smarton@nwlc.org