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The Maine Economy depends on a skilled workforce.  Waiting to invest in that workforce - our kids - until they enter the K-12 system is too late – we must start at birth.  Investment in early childhood IS economic development for Maine. Join Dana Connors, President, Maine State Chamber of Commerce and Laurie LaChance, President & CEO of the Maine Development Foundation for a discussion about thier report:

The Maine State Chamber and Maine Development Foundation recently released the third report in its Making Maine Work series — Making Maine Work: Investment in Young Children = Real Economic Development.

The report confirms that strategic investments in young children are a necessary component of an effective long-term economic development strategy. Maine’s Economic Growth Council now tracks 4th grade reading scores as one of 25 indicators to measure Maine’s progress toward long-term, sustainable economic growth. In 2009, only 36% of Maine fourth grade students scored proficient or better in the national reading test.

      You will learn from leaders in public policy, the private sector and philanthropic community that

•     Positive outcomes that cut across the fields of health, education and economic development are dependent upon investments in the healthy development of young children.

•     A proper start is economically smarter than later remediation which is costlier and more often falls short of success.

•     The cost-to-benefit ratio for every dollar in early investments ranges from $4 to $16 of benefit.

•     Investments in young children are directly tied to a skilled workforce, a strong tax base and the economic success of our state

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