For Businesses

Being a Family Friendly worksite

Quality early learning programs are important to local businesses. Not only are early education programs  preparing the future workforce, but most businesses currently employ at least some individuals who are parents of young children. Businesses need quality early learning programs for their employees. In Florida 64% of children younger than age six lived in households where all available parents work making accessible, affordable, high quality child care essential to working parents Employers need available child care settings in the community to attract and retain skilled employees.

Employers with policies that support early learning receive increased productivity in return. Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County can help your business be family friendly and offers a number of services that can support your employees who have young children. Click here for further information on supporting your employees who are parents.

There are many other ways businesses can assist and support early learning. Employees can volunteer (click here for Volunteer opportunities, file attached) or participate in one of our Literacy Buddy program (link to that page). Local businesses can be a host site for our Bucket of Books program.

Bucket of Books for Businesses

This is a program where local businesses become a host site for a Bucket of Books designed for young children to use when families are visiting your businesses. ELC of Sarasota provides these buckets of books free of charge to local businesses so that business can easily play a role in helping to support early literacy efforts in our community.

If you are interested in being a Bucket of Books business or have any questions, please call e-mail us at mail@elcsarasota.org or call 941-954-4830  x 215.

Local Businesses can also invest in early learning by donating funds for services, adopting a local early care site, encouraging employees to volunteer and sponsoring ELC events.