Private-Public Partnerships

What are Public-Private Partnerships?
A public-private partnership exists when the private sector, (employers, philanthropy, civic groups, parents and service providers), joins with the public sector (federal, state, and/or local officials and agencies) in pursuit of a common goal.  The advantages to public-private partnerships are an increasingly viable and popular strategy for improving child care services.

In a  public-private child care partnership, partner's work together toward common goals and objectives; each partner contributes time, money, expertise and other resources; and decision-making responsibilities are shared among partners.  Some of the bottom-line benefits to offering child care assistance are : recruiting and retaining employees, reduction of absenteeism and turnover, improvement of loyalty and productivity and saving the employer money.

Advantages of Partnering Within the Community
Public-private partnerships enable a company to:

• Offer enhanced child care services to their employees
• Promote equity in the delivery of services
• Target services to areas where their employees live and work
• Provide services in a manner  that is more cost effective than working  individually.

Partnerships offer a cost-effective approach to addressing child care issues because they are able to pool financial resources from a variety of sources, leverage political clout, improve planning by drawing on a variety of perspectives and stimulate additional interests and awareness about child care.  Partnering with the community to find solutions to child care issues is one way to strengthen and support community services which in turn makes the community a better place to live and work.

For more information please contact us at
1-800-834-4378 or 207-667-2467,
Fax 207-667-2212 or
email judithn@childandfamilyopp.com

Child Care Opportunities, Resource Development Center
18 Avery Lane Ellsworth, Maine 800-834-4378 or 667-2467,
Fax 207-667-2212 or judithn@childandfamilyopp.com